Excel VBA 24-Hour Trainer, 2nd Edition

Lesson 22UserForm Controls and Their Functions

UserForms enable you to interact with your users in ways that you can't when using standard Message Boxes, InputBoxes, or controls embedded onto your worksheet. With UserForms, you can control the input of information by validating the kind of data that gets entered, the order in which it is entered, and, if your workbook requires it, the exact location where the information should be stored and how it should be recalled. This lesson leads you through the design of various UserForms, with examples of how to program an assortment of controls that you'll utilize most frequently.

Understanding the Frequently Used UserForm Controls

As demonstrated in Lesson 21, when you add a UserForm to your workbook, the first thing you see is the empty UserForm in its design window, not unlike a blank canvas upon which you'll strategically place your controls. The controls you utilize depend upon the task at hand, and you'll come across countless sets of circumstances for which a UserForm is the right tool for the job.

Still, you'll find that a core group of frequently used controls can handle most of your UserForm requirements. The fun part is tapping into the events each control supports to create a customizable UserForm that's user-friendly and, most importantly, gets the job done.

NOTE As you see in Lesson 23, you are not limited to the relatively few controls shown by default on the Toolbox. Dozens more Toolbox controls are available to ...