Q154666: HOWTO: Create a Private Data Collection for an MDI Child Form

Article: Q154666
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbGrpDSVB
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 16-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 16-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

A form can contain public and private properties similar to the properties found
in the Properties window of a form or component. You can associate data with
individual forms by creating a property procedure. Property procedures allow
individual forms to hold unique data sets.

This article demonstrates how to create property procedures with an MDI
application containing a child form template. As a result of using this
technique, each instance of the child form can then contain a unique data set.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Steps to Create Sample Program
------------------------------

1. Start Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.

2. Add an MDI form to the project by completing the following steps:

  a. From the Project Menu, choose Add MDI Form. In Visual Basic 4.0, choose
     MDI Form from the Insert menu.

  b. Add a PictureBox control to the MDIForm1 form.

  c. Add a Command button to the PictureBox control.

  d. Copy the following code to the Code window of the MDIForm1 form:

           Private Sub MDIForm_Load()
              Command1.Caption = "New Child Form"
           End Sub

           Private Sub Command1_Click()
              Dim F As New Form1
              F.Caption = "Child " & Forms.Count
              F.Show
           End Sub

  e. Make the MDIForm1 form the startup form by completing the following
     steps:

     1. From the Project menu, choose Project1 Properties. In Visual Basic 4.0,
        choose Options from the Tools menu, and select the Project tab.

     2. Select MDIForm1 from the Startup Object dropdown. In Visual Basic 4.0,
        select MDIForm1 from the Startup Form dropdown. In the Startup Form
        combo box, click MDIForm1.

     3. Click OK to close the dialog box.

3. Add another form to the project by completing the following steps:

  a. Choose Add Form from the Project Menu. In Visual Basic 4.0, choose Form
     from the Insert menu.

  b. Add two command buttons and two text box controls to the Form2 form.

  c. Copy the following code to the Code window of the Form2 form:

           Private Sub Form_Load()
              Text1.Text = ""
              Text2.Text = ""
              Command1.Caption = "Set Property"
              Command2.Caption = "Get Property"
           End Sub

           Private Sub Command1_Click()
              With MDIForm1.ActiveForm
                 .FirstName = Text1.Text
                 .LastName = Text2.Text
              End With
           End Sub

           Private Sub Command2_Click()
              With MDIForm1.ActiveForm
                 Text1.Text = .FirstName
                 Text2.Text = .LastName
              End With
           End Sub

  d. Make the following changes to the Form1 form.

     a. Change the MDIChild property to True.

     b. Add a command button.

     c. Copy the following code to the Code window of the Form1 form:

           Private TempFirstName As String
           Private TempLastName As String

           Private Sub Form_Load()
              Command1.Caption = "Show Dialog Box"
           End Sub

           Private Sub Command1_Click()
              Form2.Show
           End Sub

           Public Property Get FirstName()
              FirstName = TempFirstName
           End Property

           Public Property Let FirstName(vNewValue)
              TempFirstName = vNewValue
           End Property

           Public Property Get LastName()
              LastName = TempLastName
           End Property

           Public Property Let LastName(vNewValue)
              TempLastName = vNewValue
           End Property

  e. Save the project.

  f. Run the sample program by completing the following steps:

     a. On the Run menu, click Start or press the F5 key to start the program.

     b. Create two child forms by clicking the New Child Form button twice.

     c. For each child form, click the Show Dialog button to display a Form2
        form.

     d. For each Form2 form, enter a different first and last name in the text
        boxes and click the Set Property button.

     e. From each child form, click the Show Dialog button again to display the
        Form2 form created from the child form. Click the Get Property button.
        Each Form2 form should contain its own first and last name data items
        in the text boxes.

Additional query words: kbVBp400 kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbVBp kbdsd kbDSupport kbNoKeyWord

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbGrpDSVB 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVBA500 kbVBA600 kbVB500 kbVB600 kbVB400Search kbVB400 kbVB16bitSearch
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================