Simple(?)question

Hi all,
I have been thinking of this problem-I am new to VB and have been finding difficulty solving this problem.
How do you draw squares on the form using the mouse where the upper left coordinate is the location where the user first pressed the mouse button and the lower right coordinate is where the user releases the mouse button. Also is it possible for the user to see the size of the square as he drags the mouse so he will know exactly what the square size will be when the mouse button is released?

The following code will draw a square on a form as you requested...Just click and drag out your square.

VB Code:

Option Explicit
 
Private Rubberbanding As Boolean
Private OldMode As Integer
Private OldStyle As Integer
Private FirstX As Single
Private FirstY As Single
Private LastX As Single
Private LastY As Single
 
' Start rubberbanding.
Private Sub Form_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
 
    ' Let MouseMove know we are rubberbanding.
    Rubberbanding = True
 
    ' Save values so we can restore them later.
    OldMode = DrawMode
    OldStyle = DrawStyle
    DrawMode = vbInvert
    DrawStyle = vbDot
 
    ' Save the starting coordinates.
    FirstX = X
    FirstY = Y
 
    ' Draw the initial rubberband box.
    LastX = X
    LastY = Y
    Line (FirstX, FirstY)-(LastX, LastY), , B
End Sub
 
' Continue rubberbanding.
Private Sub Form_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
 
    ' If we are not rubberbanding, do nothing.
    If Not Rubberbanding Then Exit Sub
 
    ' Erase the previous rubberband box.
    Line (FirstX, FirstY)-(LastX, LastY), , B
 
    ' Draw the new rubberband box.
    LastX = X
    LastY = Y
    Line (FirstX, FirstY)-(LastX, LastY), , B
End Sub
 
' Stop rubberbanding.
Private Sub Form_MouseUp(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
 
Dim oldfill As Integer
Dim oldcolor As Long
 
    ' If we are not rubberbanding, do nothing.
    If Not Rubberbanding Then Exit Sub
 
    ' We are no longer rubberbanding.
    Rubberbanding = False
 
    ' Erase the previous rubberband box.
    Line (FirstX, FirstY)-(LastX, LastY), , B
 
    ' Restore the original DrawMode and DrawStyle.
    DrawMode = OldMode
    DrawStyle = OldStyle
 
    ' Fill the final box with a random color.
    oldfill = FillStyle
    oldcolor = FillColor
    FillStyle = vbSolid
    FillColor = QBColor(Int(Rnd * 16))
 
    Line (FirstX, FirstY)-(LastX, LastY), , B
 
    FillStyle = oldfill
    FillColor = oldcolor
End Sub

Hope this helps you
GRAHAM

You can do the same thing with the Line function, but if you place a Shape control on your form and initially set its Visible property to False, this should do waht you want.

VB Code:

Option Explicit
 
Private sglXStart As Single
Private sglYStart As Single
Private bDraw As Boolean
 
Private Sub Form_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
 
    sglXStart = X
    sglYStart = Y
    bDraw = True
 
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
DrawTheSquare X, Y
End Sub
 
Public Sub DrawTheSquare(X As Single, Y As Single)
 
If bDraw Then
    Shape1.Top = sglYStart
    Shape1.Left = sglXStart
    Shape1.Height = Y - sglYStart
    Shape1.Width = Shape1.Height
    Shape1.Visible = True
End If
 
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_MouseUp(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
 
    bDraw = False
    
End Sub

Hi Graham and MartinLiss,
Thank you both very much.
Regards,
Mashi.