Use reference to dynamically created control in Word VBA

Question

I am writing a form in Word 2003 to collect multiple responses to a single question. I have a macro on a button press which duplicates the various input fields (drop-down boxes, radio buttons etc.) ready for a new response.

However, I need to change the text of the radio buttons, and set the OnChange event on a combobox, and I can't find the correct syntax to do so. Both the controls are from the 'Control Toolbox' toolbar.

The macro code I have to duplicate the controls is below.

Private Sub CommandButton11_Click() 
Set Doc = ActiveDocument
Response = MsgBox("Add another response?", vbYesNo, "Confirm action")
    If Response = vbYes Then
        If Doc.ProtectionType <> wdNoProtection Then
          Doc.Unprotect
        End If

        Selection.MoveRight
        Selection.MoveDown
        Selection.TypeParagraph
        ''# keep the reference to this control and set the OnChange event handler
        Selection.InlineShapes.AddOLEControl ClassType:="Forms.ComboBox.1"
        Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
        Selection.TypeText Text:=vbTab
        Selection.TypeText Text:=vbTab
        ''# keep the reference to this control and set text
        Selection.InlineShapes.AddOLEControl ClassType:="Forms.OptionButton.1"
        Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1

        Doc.Protect Type:=wdAllowOnlyFormFields, NoReset:=True
    End If
End Sub

Answer 1

Hi Marc,

adding the event handlers dynamically is a bit tricky.

You could add the code dynamically to ThisDocument. This is the way described by Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B246299&x=14&y=10. However, when I tried this Word 2007 crashed.

Another way is to add a class for event handling and create an instance of this class for each control. Place the following code into a module:

Option Explicit

Public objControls() As clsComboBox

Private Sub CommandButton11_Click()
    Dim objShape As InlineShape

    If ActiveDocument.ProtectionType <> wdNoProtection Then
        ActiveDocument.Unprotect
    End If

    Selection.MoveRight
    Selection.MoveDown
    Selection.TypeParagraph
    ' keep the reference to this control and set the OnChange event handler
    Set objShape = Selection.InlineShapes.AddOLEControl(ClassType:="Forms.ComboBox.1")
    With objShape.OLEFormat.Object
        .AddItem "Item 1"
        .AddItem "Item 2"
    End With

    Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
    Selection.TypeText Text:=vbTab
    Selection.TypeText Text:=vbTab
    ' keep the reference to this control and set text
    Set objShape = Selection.InlineShapes.AddOLEControl(ClassType:="Forms.OptionButton.1")
    With objShape.OLEFormat.Object
        .Caption = "My great option"
    End With
    Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1

    ActiveDocument.Protect Type:=wdAllowOnlyFormFields, NoReset:=True

    ' we have to execute the creation of the event handlers with a delay
    ' to make it work (seems Word needs some time for object creation)
    Application.OnTime When:=Now + TimeValue("00:00:01"), Name:="prcCreateReference"

End Sub

Public Sub prcCreateReference()
    Dim objShape As InlineShape
    Dim intCount As Integer

    On Error Resume Next
    For Each objShape In ThisDocument.InlineShapes
        intCount = intCount + 1
        ReDim Preserve objControls(1 To intCount)
        If TypeOf objShape.OLEFormat.Object Is ComboBox Then
            Set objControls(intCount) = New clsComboBox
            Set objControls(intCount).ComboBox = objShape.OLEFormat.Object
        ElseIf TypeOf objShape.OLEFormat.Object Is OptionButton Then
            ' add event handlers for option buttons
        End If
    Next
End Sub

This code should go into a class module named clsComboBox:

Option Explicit

Private WithEvents mobjComboBox As MSForms.ComboBox

Friend Property Set ComboBox(objComboBox As MSForms.ComboBox)
    Set mobjComboBox = objComboBox
End Property

Private Sub mobjComboBox_Change()
    MsgBox "Selection changed."
End Sub

Private Sub mobjComboBox_Click()
    MsgBox "Clicked."
End Sub

Note that the variable objControls must be of type clsComboBox. Declaring this variable as Object or Variant didn't work for me (could anyone explain why???).

Regards, divo