Moving and Sizing Items in the Dialog Editor

SUMMARY

Some items in the Dialog Editor provided with Microsoft Excel 3.00 may appear to be immobile, unable to be sized, or linked to other items in your custom dialog box. Furthermore, the cursor may not become a four-headed arrow when passing over these items. This is because, by default, these items are automatically positioned and/or sized.

MORE INFORMATION

You will find that you cannot select and move the dialog box that is provided when you enter the Dialog Editor. Similarly, you will find that an Option button that is created in the dialog box will be "linked" to the item created before it. A standard OK button appears to have a fixed height.

This is due to the Auto option that is chosen on the Info dialog for these items. To view the Auto selection, simply highlight the item and choose Info from the Edit menu. Next to the X, Y, Width, and Height boxes are check boxes that control the status of the auto positioning/sizing for that item. Select these check boxes to free the item you are examining.

These auto-positioning/sizing options are not selected by default in versions of Excel earlier than 3.00.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Execute the Dialog Editor.

2. From the Item menu, choose Button. Create an OK button.

3. From the Item menu, choose Button again. Create an Option button.

4. Try to move the Option button created by choosing it and dragging. Do the same for the OK button. Note that the Option button will only move with the OK button.

5. Choose the Option button. From the Edit menu, choose Info.

6. Select the Auto check boxes next to the X and Y options. Choose OK.

7. Repeat step 4. Note that the Option button now moves freely.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide." Version 3.00, pages 627, 631.