Excel-VBA: Getting the values from Form Controls

Question

Embedded in the worksheet sheet1 I have a Form Control combo box named combobox_test and it has selected value x

in addition to that, i also have embbeded a button that when i press it i want it to take the value of combobox_test and place it in something.Rows(y). But i cant get it working and am getting a bit frustrated. Maybe you can point me in the right direction

Sub ButtonPressed_sample()
    Dim value As String

    Set putItRng = Range("theCells")        
    putItRng.Rows(1) = ActiveSheet.Shapes("combobox_test").Value        
End Sub

Any advise? Am an absolute beginner in VBA, so please be as detailed as you can. Thanks

Shippen

Run-time error 438. Object doesn't support this property or method... and it shows the line putItRng.Rows(1) = ActiveSheet.Shapes("combobox_test").Value – Shippen

Answer 1

I'm not sure this is what you want, but it's a start. The Shape object doesn't have a Value property, which is the source of the error. There is a DropDown object that is deprecated, but still available.

Sub ButtonPressed_sample()

    Set putitrng = Range("theCells")
    putitrng.Rows(1) = ActiveSheet.DropDowns("combobox_test").value

End Sub

Bipartisan

Note, DropDowns (and ComboBoxes, Buttons, etc) are deprecated because if you choose to group several shapes together, controls that are in groups don't appear in those collection objects. So I guess this comment is just a caution not to put your control into any grouped shapes so long as you're using this method (which I myself also use) :) – Premarital

Answer 2

   Sub QuickSelect_Change()
        With ActiveSheet.Shapes("QuickBox")
            MsgBox "My Selected Value " & .ControlFormat.List(.ControlFormat.ListIndex)
        End With
    End Sub

Boatel

Thank you. Perfect! – Acrid

Answer 3

ActiveSheet.Shapes("combobox_test").ControlFormat.ListIndex

Booty

While this can answer the question, it would be better to explain why it is the right solution. – Pleochroism

The highest voted answer references the DropDowns collection, but Alain mentioned that this was deprecated because "if you choose to group several shapes together, controls that are in groups don't appear in those collection objects". The shapes collection is another means to reference a combobox form control, but Carlos post didn't work for me. – Booty

I just tried ActiveSheet.Shapes("combobox_test").ControlFormat.Value and found it got the same result. Some scenarios might find this to be a more appropriate coding style. – Shadbush

Answer 4

putItRng.Rows(1)= ActiveSheet.combobox_test.value

Try:

activesheet.cells(1,putItRng.column).value=activesheet.combobox_test.value

If it doesnt work then your combobox is not named "Combobox_test"

Bohon

You must reference by ActiveWorkbook.Activesheet ('cause multiple workbooks each have one Activesheet). Rows(1) gives you the entire range of all columns in row 1... Go step by step on this. Try find the real source of the problem using two Msgbox, one for the left side, the other for the right side of the above suggested assignment. That will better pinpoint what's the matter. I'm guessing your object naming is wrong. – Cardinale

Answer 5

As said before the Shape ComboBox has no Value property.

I use the DrawingObject property of the Shape object to get a CheckBox FormControl object. This CheckBox object can then be used like any other FormControl.

You should also be able to use the DrawinObject to get the ComboBox objcet form the Shape object.

If you want to get te selected text then you can try following code snipped:

Dim sh as Shape
Dim cB as ComboBox
For Each sh In ws.Shapes
    If sh.Type = msoFormControl Then
        If TypeOf sh.DrawingObject Is ComboBox Then
            Set cB = sh.DrawingObject
            ... 
            your code for getting the Data from ComboBox
            ...
        End If
    End If
Next

Alon

Answer 6

Thanks been fighting with this this one but this topic gave me an answer. I don't know a difference of method1 or method2 reference type, value can be read using .value|.List attributes. It would be great to have a fully typed obj variable.

Dim obj As Object
Set obj = ws.DropDowns("combo1")  ' method 1
Set obj = ws.Shapes("combo1").ControlFormat  ' method 2
Debug.Print obj.value & "|" & obj.List(obj.value)  ' 1...n|Text1,Text2,..n
    

Storekeeper