XL97: RefEdit Control Still Appears After You Close UserForm

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you close a Microsoft Excel custom dialog box (UserForm), the RefEdit control of the UserForm may continue to appear in the foreground of the worksheet and any selected ranges of cells have a marquee around them. If there is a TextBox control on the form, any text typed while the insertion point is active in the TextBox control appears in the RefEdit control. Microsoft Excel cannot be closed and no menus are available, although you can still select ranges of cells on the spreadsheet.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when all of the following conditions are true:

• A UserForm contains an OptionButton control with attached code to set the focus (SetFocus) to a RefEdit control on the same UserForm.

  -and-

• The Value property of the OptionButton control is set to True in a Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro or procedure before the macro or procedure displays the UserForm using the Show method.

  -and-

• The macro or procedure that shows the UserForm also sets the focus to another control (for example, a RefEdit control) on the UserForm after the Value property of the OptionButton control is set.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

Method 1: Changing the Order of the Lines of Code

In the Visual Basic macro or procedure that displays the UserForm, set the focus to another control before setting the Value property of the OptionButton control to True. The following example demonstrates this method:

1. Open a new workbook in Microsoft Excel.

2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.

3. On the Insert menu, click UserForm.

4. If the Toolbox is not displayed, click Toolbox on the View menu.

5. Drag an OptionButton, a RefEdit, a TextBox, and a CommandButton control to the UserForm from the Toolbox.

6. Double-click the CommandButton control to see the code window and type the following code:

   Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()

             UserForm1.Hide
             End
          End Sub
   
   

7. Close the code window.

8. Double-click the OptionButton control to see the code window and type the following code:

   Private Sub OptionButton1_Click()

             UserForm1.RefEdit1.SetFocus
          End Sub
   
   

9. Close the code window.

10. On the Insert menu, click Module.

11. Type the following into the new module:

           Sub RunForm()
              With UserForm1
                 .TextBox1.SetFocus
                 .OptionButton1.Value = True
                 .Show
              End With
           End Sub
    
    

12. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Macros. Click RunForm, and then click Run.

    The macro will run and set the focus correctly.

Method 2: Do Not Set Focus with Code Attached to an OptionButton Control

Do not assign code to an OptionButton control to set the focus to a RefEdit control before a form is displayed. Instead, leave any OptionButton controls unselected to allow the user to make the choice.

Method 3: Do Not Set the Value Property of an OptionButton Control to True

Do not set the focus to another control in the procedure or macro that displays the UserForm if the same procedure or macro sets the Value property of the OptionButton control to True. Setting the Value property of the OptionButton control to True triggers the Click event procedure that is assigned to the OptionButton control.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

If the behavior occurs, you may be able to get out of the situation without having to close Microsoft Excel in the Close Program dialog box. However, this is only possible if the Visual Basic Editor is running. Follow these steps to avoid having to close Microsoft Excel:

1. Close the UserForm.

2. On the Microsoft Windows 95 taskbar, click the Visual Basic Editor button.

3. In the Visual Basic Editor, click the Reset button on the Standard toolbar to end the macro.

4. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to display the Close Program dialog box.

5. Click "Microsoft Visual Basic - workbook.xls (running)" (where workbook.xls is the name of your file).

6. Click End Task.

   This will close the Visual Basic Editor. A dialog box then appears that states "Cannot quit Microsoft Excel."

7. Click OK.

   Another dialog box appears titled:

         Microsoft Visual Basic - workbook.xls (running)
   

   It states that the program is not responding.

8. Click Cancel.

   The RefEdit control may appear in a collapsed UserForm window over the spreadsheet now with a range address in it.

9. Click the Close button in the collapsed UserForm.

   You should now be able to restart the Visual Basic Editor and continue editing your program.

REFERENCES

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications