INFO: Object Hungarian Notation Naming Conventions for VB

ID: Q173738


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, version 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0


SUMMARY

This is a list of Visual Basic control and object prefixes provided as a reference for consistent use of Hungarian Notation. This list will assist in standardizing the structure, coding style and logic of an application.


Object                             Prefix                Example
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form                               frm                   frmFileOpen
Check box                          chk                   ReadOnly
Combo box                          cbo                   cboEnglish
Data-bound combo box               dbc                   dbcEnglish
Command button                     cmd                   cmdCancel
Data                               dat                   datBiblio
Directory list box                 dir                   dirSource
Drive list box                     drv                   drvTarget
File list box                      fil                   filSource
Frame                              fra                   fraLanguage
Grid                               grd                   grdPrices
Data-bound grid                    dbg                   dbgPrices
Horizontal scroll bar              hsb                   hsbVolume
Image                              img                   imgIcon
Label                              lbl                   lblHelpMessage
Line                               lin                   linVertical
List box                            lst                  lstPolicyCodes
Data-bound list box                dbl                   dblPolicyCode
Menu                               mnu                   mnuFileOpen
OLE container                      ole                   oleObject1
Option button                      opt                   optFrench
Picture box                        pic                   picDiskSpace
Shape                              shp                   shpCircle
Text box                           txt                   txtGetText
Timer                              tmr                   tmrAlarm

Object                             Prefix                Example
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vertical scroll bar                vsb                   vsbRate
Animation button                   ani                   aniMailBox
bed      Pen                       Bedit                 bedFirstName
Checkbox                           chk                   chkReadOnly
Picture clip                       clp                   clpToolbar
Communications                     com                   comFax
Control                            ctl                   ctrCurrent
Data control                       dat                   datBiblioDirectory
Directory list box                 dir                   dirSource
Common dialog ctrl                 dlg                   dlgFileOpen
Drive list box                     drv                   drvTarget
File list box                      fil                   filSource
Form                               frm                   frmEntry
Frame (3d)                         fra                   fraStyle
Gauge                              gau                   gauStatus
Group push button                  gpb                   gpbChannel
Graph                              gra                   graRevenue
Grid                               grd                   grdPrices
Pen Hedit                          hed                   hedSignature
Horizontalscrollbar                hsb                   hsbVolume
Image                              img                   imgIcon
Pen Ink                            ink                   inkMap
Keyboard key status                key                   keyCaps
Label                              lbl                   lblHelpMessage
Line                               lin                   linVertical
MDI child form                     mdi                   mdiNote
MAPI message                       mpm                   mpmSentMessage
MAPI session                       mps                   mpsSession
MCI                                mci                   mciVideo
Menu                               mnu                   mnuFileOpen
Object                             obj                   objUserTable
Option Button (3d)                 opt                   optRed
Outline control                    out                   outOrgChart
3d Panel                           pnl (3d)              pnlTitleList
Report control                     rpt                   rptQtr1Earnings
Shape controls                     shp                   shpCircle
Spin control                       spn                   spnPages
Timer                              tmr                   tmrAlarm
Vertical scroll bar                vsb                   vsbRate

Database Objects                   Prefix                Example
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ODBC Database                      db                    dbAccounts
ODBC Dynaset object                dyn                   dynSalesByRegion
Field collection                   fld                   fldCustomer
Field object                       fld                   fldAddress
Form                               frm                   frmNewUser
Index object                       idx                   idxAge
Index collection                   idx                   idxNewAge
Macro                              mcr                   mcrCollectUsers
QueryDef object                    qry                   qrySalesByRegion
Query                              qry                   qrySalesByRegion
Report                             rpt                   rptAnnualSales
Snapshot object                    snp                   snpForecast
Table object                       tbl                   tblCustomer
TableDef object                    tbd                   tbdCustomers 

The following table lists standard third-party vendor name prefix characters to be used with control prefixes:

Vendor                         Abbreviation
-------------------------------------------
MicroHelp (VBTools)            m
Pioneer Software Q+E Database  p
Crescent Software              c
Sheridan Software              s
Other (miscellaneous)          o

Objects                            Prefix                Example
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Alarm(Microhelp)                   almm                  almmAlarm
Animate(Microhelp)                 anim                  animAnimate
Callback(Microhelp)                calm                  callback
Combo Box(Pioneer)                 cbop                  cbopComboBox
Combo Box(Sheridan)                cbos                  cbosComboBox
DB_Check(Pioneer)                  chkp                  chkpCheckBox
chart(Microhelp)                   tm                    tmChart
Clock(Microhelp)                   clkm                  clkmClock
Command Button(Microhelp)          cmdm                  cmdmCommandButton
DB_Command(Pioneer)                cmdp                  cmdpCommandButton
Command Button(Group)(Microhelp)   cmgm                  cmgmBtton
Command Button (icon) (Microhelp)  cmim                  cmimCommandButton
CardDeck(Microhelp)                crdm                  crdmCard
Dice(Microhelp)                    dicm                  dicmDice
SSDir(Sheridan)                    dirs                  dirsDirList
SSDrive(Sheridan)                  drvs                  drvsDriveList
File List(Microhelp)               film                  filmFileList
SSFile(Sheridan)                   fils                  filsFileList
Flip(Microhelp)                    flpm                  flpmButton
Form Scroll(Microhelp)             fsrm                  fsrmFormScroll
Gauge(Microhelp)                   gagm                  gagmGauge
Graph(Other)                       gpho                  gphoGraph
Q_Grid(Pioneer)                    grdp                  grdpGrid
Horizontal Scroll Bar(Microhelp)   hsbm                   hsbmScroll
DB_Hscroll(Pioneer)                hsbp                   hsbpScroll
Histo(Microhelp)                   hstm                   hstmHistograph
Invisible(Microhelp)               invm                   invmInvisible
Icon Tag(Microhelp)                itgm                   itgmListBox
Key State(Microhelp                kstm                   kstmKeyState
Label (3d) (Microhelp)             lblm                   lblmLabel
Line(Microhelp)                    linm                   linmLine
DB_List(Pioneer)                   lstp                   lstpListBox
SSList(Sheridan)                   lsts                   lstsListBox
MDI Control(Microhelp)             mdcm                   mdcmMDIChild
SSMenu(Sheridan)                   mnus                   mnusMenu
Marque(Microhelp)                  mrqm                   mrqmMarque
OddPic(Microhelp)                  odpm                   odpmPicture
Picture(Microhelp)                 picm                   picmPicture
DB_Picture(Pioneer)                picp                   picpPicture
Property Vwr(Microhelp)            pvrm                   vrmPropertyViewer
DB_RadioGroup(Group)(Pioneer)      radp                   radqRadioGroup
Slider(Microhelp)                  sldm                   sldmSlider
Spinner(Microhelp)                 spnm                   spnmSpinner
Spreadsheet(Microhelp)             sprm                   sprmSpreadsheet
Stretcher(Microhelp)               strm                   strmStretcher
Screen Saver(Microhelp)            svrm                   svrmSaver
Switcher(Microhelp)                swtm                   swtmSwitcher
Tag(Microhelp)                     tagm                   tagmListBox
Timer(Microhelp)                   tmrm                   tmrmTimer
ToolBar(Microhelp)                 tolm                   tolmToolBar
Tree(Microhelp)                    trem                   tremTree
Input(Microhelp) (Text)            txtm                   inpmText
DB_Text(Microhelp)                 txtp                   txtpText
Vertical Scroll Bar(Microhelp)     vsbm                   vsbmScroll
DB_VScroll(Pioneer)                vsbp                   vsbpScroll 


REFERENCES

The base list can also be found in the Programmers Guide under the Object Naming Conventions Section.

Additional query words: kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbdse kbDSupport kbVBp

Keywords : kbGrpVBDB
Version : WINDOWS:4.0,6.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo


Last Reviewed: January 5, 2000
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