XL2000: How to Assign a Macro to an ActiveX Worksheet Control

Microsoft Excel does not have a menu command that allows you to assign a macro to an ActiveX control that is on a worksheet. This article provides an example that demonstrates how to create an ActiveX control and assign a macro to the control.

NOTE: If you drag the control to the worksheet from the Forms toolbar, you can right-click the control and click Assign Macro on the shortcut menu.

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

Creating an ActiveX Control with an Assigned Macro

To add an ActiveX control to your worksheet and assign a macro to it, follow these steps:

1. Open a new workbook in Microsoft Excel.
2. If the Control Toolbox toolbar is not visible, point to Toolbars on the View menu, and then click Control Toolbox.
3. Click the Command Button control on the Control Toolbox toolbar and draw a command button anywhere on the worksheet.
   
   At this point, you are in design mode, which is the time during which no code is running. This is the mode in which you can make changes to the properties of the ActiveX control on the worksheet. To verify that you are in design mode, point to (do not click) Design Mode on the Control Toolbox toolbar. If the ToolTip for this button shows "Exit Design Mode," then you are in design mode. If the ToolTip for this button shows "Design Mode," then you are not in design mode. If this is the case, click the button.
4. On the Control Toolbox toolbar, click View Code.
   
   This step starts the Visual Basic Editor and places the cursor in a new module sheet with the following code:

   Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
   
   End Sub
   						

5. Modify the macro so that it looks like the following example:

   Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
   
      MsgBox "hello"
   
   End Sub
   						

6. On the File menu, click Close and Return to Microsoft Excel.
   
   You are still in design mode.
7. Click Exit Design Mode on the Control Toolbox toolbar.
8. Click the command button you placed on the worksheet in step 3.
   
   A message box that displays "hello" appears.
9. Click OK.

Modifying the Control to Start the Macro When Other Events Occur

You can change the behavior of ActiveX controls such that the control starts the macro when events, other than the Click event, occur. For example, you can start the sample macro when you move the cursor over the control instead of clicking it. To do this for the control you created in the previous section, follow these steps:

1. Click Design Mode on the Control Toolbox toolbar.
2. If it is not selected, click the command button you created in step 3 in the previous section.
3. Click View Code on the Control Toolbox toolbar.
   
   This step activates the Visual Basic Editor. The cursor is on the macro you created in the previous section.
4. In the Procedure list, click MouseMove.
5. Modify the macro so that it looks like the following example:

   Private Sub CommandButton1_MouseMove _
       (ByVal Button As Integer, ByVal Shift As Integer, _
       ByVal X as Single, ByVal Y as Single)
   
       MsgBox "mouse moved over button"
   
   End Sub
   						

6. On the File menu, click Close and Return to Microsoft Excel.
   
   You are still in design mode.
7. Click Exit Design Mode on the Control Toolbox toolbar.
8. Move the pointer over the command button on the worksheet. A message box that displays "mouse moved over button" appears.
9. Click OK.

For more information about ActiveX controls, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type Toolbox in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.