How to use MDI Form in VB?

The Form that you have been using so far are single form. In Visual Basic you can use Multiple Document Interface (MDI) Form, a form that can contain multiple forms. Here is how to create MDI Form:

1. Start Visual Basic Standard Exe project.2. In the Project Window, do Right Click and it show a pop up menu, choose Add >

MDI Form. In the dialog window, press Open button3. Go to Form1. Change the MDI Child Property of Form1 (and all other forms if

exist) into True. This will make Form1 as child form instead of parent 4. In the VB menu, select Project > Project1 Properties. In the General Tab,

StartUp Object, select MDI Form1, then OK. This is to make VB run for the first time by calling the MDI Form.

5. Run the program

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1.  Continue the MDI Form project, in the Project Window, double click the MDI Form1 to put the MDI Form in front

2. In the Menu of VB, click Tools > Menu Editor or you can use Ctrl-E. The menu Editor will appear.

3. In the Caption, type &File then in the name, type mnuFile then click Next button

4. In the Caption, type &Exit then in the name, type mnuExit then click right arrow button. In the Shortcut list, choose Ctrl-X, then Next button

5. In the Caption, type &Window then in the name, type mnuWindow then click the Window List checkbox, and then the Next button.

6. In the Caption, type &Calendar then in the name, type mnuCalendar then click right

arrow button. In the Shortcut list, choose Ctrl-L, then Next button7. In the Caption, type &Controller then in the name, type mnuController then click

right arrow button. In the Shortcut list, choose F6, then Next button8. The menu editor will be the same as figure on the right. Press OK9. Now you have menu in the MDI Form, click File>Exit and enter10. In the mnuExit_Click procedure, type

Private Sub mnuExit_Click()

EndEnd Sub

11. In the menu of MDI form, select Window > Controller and click to wrie the subsequent code

Private Sub mnuController_Click()

If mnuController.Checked = True Then'now is checked, make it uncheckedfrmController.HidemnuController.Checked = FalseElse ' now is unchecked, make it checkedfrmController.ShowmnuController.Checked = TrueEnd IfEnd Sub

12. Run the program, and look at the Window menu and try the Exit menu.

Adding Component into ToolBox

1. In the Toolbox, Right click and a pop up menu will be shown. You choose Components…A dialog window will appear

2. In the control Tab of the dialog, scroll down and find Microsoft Calendar Control. Check the checkbox and press OK

3. See that the Calendar control is added to your toolbox4. In the Project Window, do Right Click and it show a pop up menu, choose Add >

Form. In the dialog window, select New Tab and Form, then press Open button5. Change the Name property of the new form into frmCalendar. Change the

Caption property into Calendar.6. Drag and drop Calendar Control from the Toolbox into frmCalendar. Arrange it

so that look nice. For example, if the nice looking of calendar has width of 5000 and height of 4000, then we add 350 for the height of form and 50 to the width of form. Type the following code in the Form_Resize of frmCalendar to fixed the size of the Calendar form.

Private Sub Form_Resize()

Calendar1.Width = 5000Calendar1.Height = 4000Me.Width = 5050Me.Height = 4350End Sub

7. Add a command button into frmCalendar. Change the Name property to cmdToday, the Caption property to Today and resize it small enough to put in the right corner of the calendar. Type the following code into the click event of the command button:

Private Sub cmdToday_Click()

Calendar1.Today

End Sub

8. In the project window, double click MDI Form to put the MDI form in front. 9. In the Menu of VB, click Tools > Menu Editor or you can use Ctrl-E. The menu

Editor will appear.

10. Click the space below &Window then in the Caption, type &Calendar then in the name, type mnuCalendar . Check the Checked checkbox then click the right arrow. After that, click Next button and press OK button.

11. Now in the MDI Form, you select the menu Window > Calendar and press, then type the code below:

Private Sub mnuCalendar_Click()

If mnuCalendar.Checked = True Then'now is checked, make it uncheckedfrmCalendar.HidemnuCalendar.Checked = FalseElse ' now is unchecked, make it checkedfrmCalendar.ShowmnuCalendar.Checked = TrueEnd IfEnd Sub

12. Add code below to call the Calendar Form from the MDI form at the first time and to maximize the MDI form:

Private Sub MDIForm_Load()

frmCalendar.ShowMDIForm1.WindowState = vbMaximizedEnd Sub

13. Run the program. Select the menu Window > Calendar several times to see the effect of Checked menu.

VERSION 4.00Begin VB.Form Calculator BorderStyle = 1 'Fixed Single Caption = "Calculator" ClientHeight = 2970 ClientLeft = 2580 ClientTop = 1485 ClientWidth = 3270 ClipControls = 0 'False BeginProperty Font name = "System" charset = 1 weight = 700 size = 9.75 underline = 0 'False italic = 0 'False strikethrough = 0 'False EndProperty Height = 3375 Icon = "CALC.frx":0000 Left = 2520 LinkMode = 1 'Source LinkTopic = "Form1" MaxButton = 0 'False ScaleHeight = 2970 ScaleWidth = 3270 Top = 1140 Width = 3390 Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "7" Height = 480 Index = 7 Left = 120 TabIndex = 7 Top = 600 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "8" Height = 480 Index = 8 Left = 720 TabIndex = 8 Top = 600 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "9" Height = 480 Index = 9 Left = 1320 TabIndex = 9 Top = 600

Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Cancel Caption = "C" Height = 480 Left = 2040 TabIndex = 10 Top = 600 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton CancelEntry Caption = "CE" Height = 480 Left = 2640 TabIndex = 11 Top = 600 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "4" Height = 480 Index = 4 Left = 120 TabIndex = 4 Top = 1200 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "5" Height = 480 Index = 5 Left = 720 TabIndex = 5 Top = 1200 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "6" Height = 480 Index = 6 Left = 1320 TabIndex = 6 Top = 1200 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Operator Caption = "+" Height = 480 Index = 1 Left = 2040 TabIndex = 12 Top = 1200 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Operator Caption = "-" Height = 480

Index = 3 Left = 2640 TabIndex = 13 Top = 1200 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "1" Height = 480 Index = 1 Left = 120 TabIndex = 1 Top = 1800 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "2" Height = 480 Index = 2 Left = 720 TabIndex = 2 Top = 1800 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "3" Height = 480 Index = 3 Left = 1320 TabIndex = 3 Top = 1800 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Operator Caption = "X" Height = 480 Index = 2 Left = 2040 TabIndex = 14 Top = 1800 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Operator Caption = "/" Height = 480 Index = 0 Left = 2640 TabIndex = 15 Top = 1800 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Number Caption = "0" Height = 480 Index = 0 Left = 120 TabIndex = 0

Top = 2400 Width = 1080 End Begin VB.CommandButton Decimal Caption = "." Height = 480 Left = 1320 TabIndex = 18 Top = 2400 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Operator Caption = "=" Height = 480 Index = 4 Left = 2040 TabIndex = 16 Top = 2400 Width = 480 End Begin VB.CommandButton Percent Caption = "%" Height = 480 Left = 2640 TabIndex = 17 Top = 2400 Width = 480 End Begin VB.Label Readout Alignment = 1 'Right Justify BackColor = &H0000FFFF& BorderStyle = 1 'Fixed Single Caption = "0." BeginProperty Font name = "MS Sans Serif" charset = 1 weight = 700 size = 12 underline = 0 'False italic = 0 'False strikethrough = 0 'False EndProperty ForeColor = &H00000000& Height = 375 Left = 120 TabIndex = 19 Top = 105 Width = 3000 EndEndAttribute VB_Name = "Calculator"Attribute VB_Creatable = FalseAttribute VB_Exposed = False' ------------------------------------------------------------------------' Copyright (C) 1994 Microsoft Corporation'

' You have a royalty-free right to use, modify, reproduce and distribute' the Sample Application Files (and/or any modified version) in any way' you find useful, provided that you agree that Microsoft has no warranty,' obligations or liability for any Sample Application Files.' ------------------------------------------------------------------------Option ExplicitDim Op1, Op2 ' Previously input operand.Dim DecimalFlag As Integer ' Decimal point present yet?Dim NumOps As Integer ' Number of operands.Dim LastInput ' Indicate type of last keypress event.Dim OpFlag ' Indicate pending operation.Dim TempReadout

' Click event procedure for C (cancel) key.' Reset the display and initializes variables.Private Sub Cancel_Click() ReadOut = Format(0, "0.") Op1 = 0 Op2 = 0 Form_LoadEnd Sub

' Click event procedure for CE (cancel entry) key.Private Sub CancelEntry_Click() ReadOut = Format(0, "0.") DecimalFlag = False LastInput = "CE"End Sub

' Click event procedure for decimal point (.) key.' If last keypress was an operator, initialize' readout to "0." Otherwise, append a decimal' point to the display.Private Sub Decimal_Click() If LastInput = "NEG" Then ReadOut = Format(0, "-0.") ElseIf LastInput <> "NUMS" Then ReadOut = Format(0, "0.") End If DecimalFlag = True LastInput = "NUMS"End Sub

' Initialization routine for the form.' Set all variables to initial values.Private Sub Form_Load() DecimalFlag = False NumOps = 0 LastInput = "NONE" OpFlag = " " ReadOut = Format(0, "0.") Decimal.Caption = Format(0, ".")End Sub

' Click event procedure for number keys (0-9).

' Append new number to the number in the display.Private Sub Number_Click(Index As Integer) If LastInput <> "NUMS" Then ReadOut = Format(0, ".") DecimalFlag = False End If If DecimalFlag Then ReadOut = ReadOut + Number(Index).Caption Else ReadOut = Left(ReadOut, InStr(ReadOut, Format(0, ".")) - 1) + Number(Index).Caption + Format(0, ".") End If If LastInput = "NEG" Then ReadOut = "-" & ReadOut LastInput = "NUMS"End Sub

' Click event procedure for operator keys (+, -, x, /, =).' If the immediately preceeding keypress was part of a' number, increments NumOps. If one operand is present,' set Op1. If two are present, set Op1 equal to the' result of the operation on Op1 and the current' input string, and display the result.Private Sub Operator_Click(Index As Integer) TempReadout = ReadOut If LastInput = "NUMS" Then NumOps = NumOps + 1 End If Select Case NumOps Case 0 If Operator(Index).Caption = "-" And LastInput <> "NEG" Then ReadOut = "-" & ReadOut LastInput = "NEG" End If Case 1 Op1 = ReadOut If Operator(Index).Caption = "-" And LastInput <> "NUMS" And OpFlag <> "=" Then ReadOut = "-" LastInput = "NEG" End If Case 2 Op2 = TempReadout Select Case OpFlag Case "+" Op1 = CDbl(Op1) + CDbl(Op2) Case "-" Op1 = CDbl(Op1) - CDbl(Op2) Case "X" Op1 = CDbl(Op1) * CDbl(Op2) Case "/" If Op2 = 0 Then MsgBox "Can't divide by zero", 48, "Calculator" Else Op1 = CDbl(Op1) / CDbl(Op2) End If Case "=" Op1 = CDbl(Op2)

Case "%" Op1 = CDbl(Op1) * CDbl(Op2) End Select ReadOut = Op1 NumOps = 1 End Select If LastInput <> "NEG" Then LastInput = "OPS" OpFlag = Operator(Index).Caption End IfEnd Sub

' Click event procedure for percent key (%).' Compute and display a percentage of the first operand.Private Sub Percent_Click() ReadOut = ReadOut / 100 LastInput = "Ops" OpFlag = "%" NumOps = NumOps + 1 DecimalFlag = TrueEnd Sub