Lock textbox but can still copy from it [solved]

[Narfy]

I have a text box that is locked, but i cant ctrl+c the text in it.
how can i lock a text box but still be able to copy from it?

[MartinLiss]

Are you talking about locked or not enabled? I ask because you should be able to copy from a locked textbox by double-clicking the text and then Ctrl+c.

[jemidiah]

You could, instead, subclass it and kill any messages that will add to the text box. That would be the cleanest, but you could also use something like this:

'You need a command button named cmdLockUnlock and
' a textbox named txtText to use this.
 
Dim bUnlocked As Boolean
Dim OldText As String
 
 
Private Sub cmdLockUnlock_Click()
bUnlocked = Not bUnlocked
 
If bUnlocked = False Then
    txtText.BackColor = &H8000000F
Else
    txtText.BackColor = vbWhite
End If
End Sub
 
Private Sub txtText_Change()
If bDontProcess_txtText_Change = True Then Exit Sub
 
OldText = txtText.Text
DoEvents
If txtText.Text = OldText And bUnlocked = False Then Exit Sub
 
bDontProcess_txtText_Change = True
txtText.Text = OldText
bDontProcess_txtText_Change = False
End Sub
 
Private Sub txtText_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
If bUnlocked = False Then
    If KeyAscii = 3 Then Exit Sub 'If it equals ^C then exit sub
    
    KeyAscii = 0
End If
End Sub

Edit: That's if you meant Enabled. If you did mean locked, then it should do that already.

[Narfy]

it is locked,

I can copy it by right clicking the selected text and clicking copy
but i want my users to be able to use ctrl+c on it.

[MartinLiss]

I don't understand. What is it concerning copying that you can't do in a locked textbox that you can do it an unlocked textbox? I don't see any differences.

[Narfy]

you cant use ctrl+c

[Spajeoly]

Just make it so when they double click it, they get it on the clipboard

Private Sub Text1_DblClick()
   Clipboard.Clear
   Clipboard.SetText Text1.Text
End Sub

[Madboy]

And you can hide the default right click menu by making your own, but making the menu items Enabled = False

[Walter]

Or!

Private Sub Text1_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    If KeyCode = 17 Then
        If KeyCode = 67 Then
            Clipboard.Clear
            Clipboard.SetText Text1.Text
        End If
    End If
End Sub

This detects when the Ctrl and C keys have been pressed, and sets the clipboard text

[Narfy]

well still want the user to press ctrlc and not just double click it, i like walter's idea but his code doesn't work...

[Walter]

guess i should of tested it first i'll get back to you on this one

[Walter]

OK, give this one a go

Option Explicit
Dim ctrl As Integer
Private Sub Text1_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    If KeyCode = 17 Then ctrl = 1
    If KeyCode = 67 Then
        If ctrl = 1 Then
            Clipboard.Clear
            Clipboard.SetText Text1.Text
        End If
    End If
End Sub
Private Sub Text1_KeyUp(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    If KeyCode = 17 Then ctrl = 0
End Sub

[Narfy]

hmmm, still doesn't work

[Walter]

are you sure. hmm, i tested it twice...

yup, tested it for a third time. definately works here

[Narfy]

when you are testing it, is your textbox locked?

[Walter]

tested twice unlocked, and twice locked now. if it still doesn't work, can you post your exact code?

[Narfy]

nevermind, it works perfect. thanks walter

[Walter]

welcome

[brucevde]

Use the Shift argument of the KeyDown event to check if the Ctrl, Shift or Alt keys are down as well. No need to use the extra variable.

Private Sub Text1_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
 'On Ctrl-C copy Textbox data  to clipboard
  If KeyCode = vbKeyC And (Shift And vbCtrlMask) Then
      Clipboard.Clear
      Clipboard.SetText Text1.Text, vbCFText
  End If 
End Sub

[MartinLiss]

Originally posted by Narfy
you cant use ctrl+c

But my point was that in order to use ctrl+c with a regular textbox you have to double-click the text or drag the mouse over the text which is exactly what you need to do when the textbox is locked.

[brucevde]

Marty, Ctrl-C just does not work on a locked textbox (and it shouldn't). No matter if you select all the text or not.

[Madboy]

I thought it should

[MartinLiss]

Originally posted by brucevde
Marty, Ctrl-C just does not work on a locked textbox (and it shouldn't). No matter if you select all the text or not.

Try it. It's very simple to show that it does. Just put two textboxes on a form, one locked and the other not. Double-click the locked one, do Ctrl-c and paste it to the unlocked one. BTW, locked just means you can't change it.

[Madboy]

As marty said, locked just makes it read-only, i can copy text with Ctrl+C on a locked textbox

[brucevde]

Hmmm. I think there is a bug here. Try this.

Ctrl-C the contents of Text2 (the unlocked one).
Ctrl-C the contents of Text1
Now try to paste with Ctrl-V back into Text2.

It seems if the clipboard already contains data, it is not replaced by Ctrl-C from a locked textbox.

At least that is how it works on my PC.

[Madboy]

Saying that bruce, sometimes i cant right Ctrl+C some text boxes and copy it, even when its not locked! Make sure you did click it right, especially if you have been to the pub

[brucevde]

heh heh. Its only 10am here. I don't hit the pubs till 11.

It works using the mouse but not keyboard (all the time).

[Madboy]

How odd, its temporemental for me, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesnt. But this happens even on unlocked textboxes, such as Notepad

[brucevde]

I should know better by now than to test things on my old PC. Man I need to upgrade or else get rid of this PII 300mhz machine.

Forget everything I said, I found this KB article.

FIX: CTRL+C Does Not Copy From a Locked TextBox