Assigning Shortcut Keys to Edit Boxes in a Custom Dialog Box

 Last reviewed: November 3, 1994
Article ID: Q68918
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

If you want to implement ALT+<KEY> shortcut keys to activate custom dialog box edit boxes (items 6-10); list boxes (item 15); or drop-down list boxes (item 21); you must precede the item number with a fixed text item (item 5) in the dialog box definition. The text column of 5 must have an ampersand (&) preceding the letter that will be the ALT+<KEY>, where <KEY> is the letter that will be underlined in the fixed text when the dialog box is displayed.

MORE INFORMATION

For example, below is a sample dialog box definition: 

                Item    x     y       Width   Height  Text  Init/Result
                ----    -     -       -----   ------  ----  -----------

Box dimensions                        200     100
Fixed text      5       10    6                       &Name
Text edit box   6       10    21      160                     123
Notice that the word Name is preceded with an & in the text column for item number 5. Also notice that item number 5 is immediately followed by an edit box (item 6) to be activated by the ALT+<KEY> combination. When this custom dialog box is displayed, the N in the fixed text Name will be underlined. When you press ALT+N, the cursor will appear in the text edit box.

Linked list boxes (item 16), linked file and drive boxes (items 18 & 19), and drop-down combination edit/list boxes (item 22) must all be preceded by a text edit box (item 6) and can therefore be activated in the same way as the edit boxes.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 3.00, page 641

KBCategory: kbother
KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 3.0 3.00

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Last reviewed: November 3, 1994
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