XL: Using Visual Basic to Return Screen Elements

ID: Q106719

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, when you develop a custom application that will run on computers with different screen resolutions, it may be useful to determine the amount of space that different workspace elements such as the menu bar, formula bar, status bar and toolbars will use. After you determine the amount of space these element use, you can then determine how and where to position documents and which elements you want to be displayed.

MORE INFORMATION

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 professionals 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/

With Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, you can write code that will retrieve workspace properties. For example the Application.UsableWidth and Application.UsableHeight command allow you to return the width and height (in points) of the workspace.

Sample Macro Code

The following example determines the height of the status bar:

Sub statusbarheight()

   'Declares the Variables as Integers
   Dim Nostatusbar as  Integer
   Dim Withstatusbar as  Integer
   Dim StatusHeight as  Integer
      Application.DisplayStatusBar = False         'Turns status off
      nostatusbar = Application.UsableHeight       'finds height without
                                                   'status bar
      Application.DisplayStatusBar = True          'Turns the status bar on
      withstatusbar = Application.UsableHeight     'Finds height with
                                                   'status bar on
      statusheight = nostatusbar - withstatusbar   'Determines the
                                                   'difference
      MsgBox ("The height of the status bar in points is " & statusheight)

End Sub

REFERENCES

"Visual Basic User's Guide," version 5.0, Chapter 5

For information about returning screen element sizes using the Microsoft Excel 4.0 macro language, please see the following article(s) in the Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q103707
   TITLE     : Excel: Using GET.WORKSPACE() to Determine Screen Element
               Size

Additional query words: 5.00 7.00 8.00 xl97 Get.workspace(13) Get.Workspace(14)

Keywords          : kbprg kbdta KbVBA 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,7.0a,97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: May 17, 1999