How to customise the Control Toolbox in the VB Editor

So that you don't have to set up all the properties for your controls every time you add one to a UserForm

Article contributed by Dave Rado

Supposing you frequently need to add Multiline Text Boxes to your UserForms, with the EnterKeyBehavior property set to True. Or let's say you want to drag a “Next” button straight onto your userform and not have to change the text in it to say “Next”, and not have to change the dimensions of the button.

A timesaver you might find useful; having created your multi-line textbox or Next button, or whatever, and having set all its properties the way you want them, drag your control onto the Control Toolbox.

Then right click on the new control, and select “Customize”.

Change the Tooltip text to “Multiline Textbox” or “Next button”, or whatever.

You can then edit the button images on the Control Toolbox if you want, to make it easier to tell them apart (also under Customize, then click on Edit Picture).

In future you can save yourself time by dragging the new control straight onto your UserForms and the appropriate properties will be set straight away.

I use this for all my frequently used buttons such as an OK, Cancel, Next and Previous, as well as for various different types of text labels, text boxes, frames, and so on. As well as saving time, it also helps greatly in making all your userforms look consistent.

You can add additional tabs (or “pages”) to the toolbox – right click, New Page. For instance I have one for my buttons and one for my other controls.

Best of all, you can export your customised toolbox, one “page” at a time – right-click, Export Page; and other members of your workgroup can import the resulting .pag file(s) - right-click, Import Page. This helps greatly in achieving consistency throughout a group of developers. It also means to can take your customisations with you – if you buy a new PC, for example.