ACC95: How to Bind a RichTextBox Control to a Field in a Table

MORE INFORMATION

1. Create the following table:

   Table: Table1
   ---------------------
   Field Name: MemoForRTF
   Data Type : Memo

2. Create the following form:

   Form: Test1
   -----------------------
   RecordSource: Table1
   KeyPreview: YES
   
   Rich Textbox ActiveX Control:
   Name: OLERichTextbox
   
   Text Box:
   Name: MemoForRTF
   ControlSource: MemoForRTF

3. On the View menu, click Code, and type the following statements in the Declarations section of the form module if they are not already there:

   Option Compare Database
         Option Explicit
   
        ' Constant that stores the name of the Memo control on the form.
        Const strMemoName As String = "MemoForRTF"
   
        ' Constant that stores the name of the RTF control on the form.
        Const strRTFName As String = "OLERichTextbox"
   
        ' Variable to note if the RTFText was just loaded (no changes made).
        Dim intJustLoaded As Integer
   
        ' Variable to note if the RTFText has been changed by the user.
        Dim intRTFChanged As Integer
   					

4. Type the following procedures in the form module:

         Private Sub Form_BeforeUpdate(Cancel As Integer)
            ' Before record is saved, put RTF control's text in the Memo
            ' field.
            Me(strMemoName) = Me(strRTFName).TextRTF
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Form_Current()
            ' When arriving at a record, fill RTF control with Memo field
            ' text.
            Call PlaceMemoInRTF
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Form_KeyUp(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
         ' This checks that the any changes to the RTF text is not lost
         ' accidentally when the user presses the ESC key.
         ' Make sure that the form's Key Preview event is set to Yes.
            If KeyCode = 27 And Shift = 0 Then
               If Not Me.Dirty And intRTFChanged Then
                  Call AskToRestoreFromMemo
               End If
            End If
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub OLERichTextbox_Change()
         ' When RTF text is changed, dirty record so it will be saved.
            If intJustLoaded Then
               intJustLoaded = False
              Exit Sub
            End If
         intRTFChanged = True
            If Me.Dirty = True Then
               Exit Sub
            End If
         ' Otherwise, dirty the record to save changes.
         Me(strMemoName) = Me(strMemoName)
         End Sub
   
         Public Sub PlaceMemoInRTF()
         ' Place saved RTF in Memo field into RTF control.
         intRTFChanged = False
            If Me.NewRecord Then
               Me(strRTFName).TextRTF = ""
            ElseIf IsNull(Me(strMemoName)) Then
               Me(strRTFName).TextRTF = ""
            Else ' There is saved RTF text in the Memo field.
               intJustLoaded = True
               Me(strRTFName).TextRTF = Me(strMemoName)
              ' The RTF control's Change event fires here; that is where the
              ' intJustLoaded comes in. The flag tells the change event
              ' not to dirty the record. The RTF was just loaded, and no
              ' changes have been made.
               intJustLoaded = False
            End If
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub OLERichTextbox_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, _
            ByVal Shift As Integer)
         ' If user pressed ESC, then ask if user wants to discard changes.
            If KeyCode = 27 And Shift = 0 Then
              If intRTFChanged Then
               Call AskToRestoreFromMemo
              End If
            End If
         End Sub
   
         Public Sub AskToRestoreFromMemo()
         ' Ask if the user wants to discard the changes to the RTF text.
         ' If so, overwrite the RTF text in the RTF control with what is in
         ' the Memo field.
         Dim intResponse As Integer
         Dim strMessage As String
         strMessage = Left(Me(strRTFName).Text, 20)
            If strMessage = "" Then
               strMessage = "Do you want to discard changes to the text."
            Else
               strMessage = "Do you want to discard changes to the text " & _
                  """" & strMessage & "..." & """"
            End If
         intResponse = MsgBox(strMessage, 4, "Undo your work?")
            If intResponse = 6 Then
               Call PlaceMemoInRTF
            Else
               Me(strMemoName) = Me(strMemoName) 'Dirty record so text will
                                                 'save.
            End If
         End Sub
   					

5. Compile and save all modules. If you receive any errors, troubleshoot them.
6. Open the form in Form view. Test the RichTextBox Control by entering text. The Rich TextBox ActiveX control should save your text in each record.