Enabling All Controls on a Form With a Loop

Also, How to Use "Tags" For Enabling a Specified Group of Controls

March 2002
Go to Tags Section

One scenario that got me stuck on this day was a scenario whereby all the text boxes (and combo boxes) on a form were NOT enabled by default. I wanted a quick way to 'enable' them without having to enter a separate statement for every single one.

A very nice gentlemen in the newgroups provided me with the code, which I had to modify only slightly (so as to enable the combo boxes as well). It follows:


' The Dim cntrol as Control line seems unnecessary
' but I've included it since it was suggested to me
Dim cntrl As Control
For Each cntrl In Me.Controls
   If cntrl.ControlType = acTextBox Or cntrl.ControlType = acComboBox Then
       cntrl.Enabled = True
   End If
Next cntrl

I also received this code as a suggestion, included here for reference:


Dim ctl As Control
For Each ctl In Me.Controls
If ctl.ControlType = acTextBox Then
'Toggle off or on depending on current state.
ctl.Enabled = Not ctl.Enabled = True
'If you want to just enable then use this:
'ctl.Enabled = True
End If
Next
End Sub

Using Tags to Enable a Specified Group of Controls

In forms, you can set a "Tag" property to a text box or any other control, and that way easily execute commands to a specified group of controls in a form. That way you don't have to have 25 different commands for each control--say, having to do "Me.StartDate.Enabled=False" and then "Me.txtDate.Enabled=False" over and over 25 times for each one. It's a great time saver.

If you want a certain group of controls on a form to be enabled or disenabled all at once, do this:

Enter the following code in a module:


Function EnableDisableControls(frm As Form, fEnabled As Boolean)
    ' Enable or disable all controls on form {frm} that have
    ' their Tag properties set to "Enable/Disable", according
    ' to the value passed as {fEnabled}.
Dim ctl As Control
For Each ctl In frm.Controls
    If ctl.tag = "Enable/Disable" Then
        ctl.Enabled = fEnabled
    End If
Next ctl
End Function

With the form open under DESIGN view, select the relevant text box's properties

Under "Other...Tag" enter the tag name you want (in this case, we will use Enable/Disable) Don't use quotes

Then in your form use the following command to have the controls disabled or enabled in your form

Disabled:

Call EnableDisableControls(Me, False)

Enabled:

Call EnableDisableControls(Me, True)

(Note: if Me in the parenthesis doesn't work, try substituting Screen.ActiveForm)