How to use Ctrl+A in a MS-Access textbox in order to select all the text - standard module option

Question

I found a solution that will allow me to use Ctrl+A combo in an Access textbox in order to select all of the text inside it.

This solution needs:

1. Set theForm.KeyPreview property to True
2. Add the following code to the Form.Keydown:

Private Sub Form_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    If KeyCode = vbKeyA And Shift = acCtrlMask Then 'Catch Ctrl+A
        KeyCode = 0 'Suppress normal effect
        On Error GoTo ExitSub 'ActiveControl causes a runtime error if none is active
        If TypeOf Me.ActiveControl Is TextBox Then
            With Me.ActiveControl
                .SelStart = 0
                .SelLength = Len(.Text)
            End With
        End If
    End If
ExitSub:
End Sub

I tried to put this code in a module like this:

Public Sub CtrlA(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    If KeyCode = vbKeyA And Shift = acCtrlMask Then 'Catch Ctrl+A
        KeyCode = 0 'Suppress normal effect
        On Error GoTo ExitSub 'ActiveControl causes a runtime error if none is active
        If TypeOf Me.ActiveControl Is TextBox Then
            With Me.ActiveControl
                .SelStart = 0
                .SelLength = Len(.Text)
            End With
        End If
    End If
ExitSub:
End Sub

In order to call it wherever I want like this:

Private Sub Form_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    Call CtrlA(KeyCode, Shift)
End Sub

But the Me keyword isn't allowed in a standard module.

How can I achive this goal?

Answer 1

Following your code sample this is what you want:

You have to forward the control (here it is named text0) to your procedure.

The argument KeyCode must be defined ByRef to be able to return the value 0 to the calling procedure.

Call it like this from in a form:

Private Sub Form_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    Call CtrlA(Text0, KeyCode, Shift)
End Sub

In a module:

Public Sub CtrlA(ByVal contextControl As Control, ByRef KeyCode As Integer, ByVal Shift As Integer)
    If KeyCode = vbKeyA And Shift = acCtrlMask Then 'Catch Ctrl+A
        KeyCode = 0 'Suppress normal effect
        On Error GoTo ExitSub 'ActiveControl causes a runtime error if none is active
        If TypeOf contextControl Is TextBox Then
            With contextControl
                .SelStart = 0
                .SelLength = Len(.Text)
            End With
        End If
    End If

ExitSub:
End Sub

---

Following Andres suggestion (thx to him) to pass the form itself, you can do it like this:

Call it like this from in a form:

Private Sub Form_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    Call CtrlA(Me, KeyCode, Shift)
End Sub

In a module:

Public Sub CtrlA(ByVal contextForm As Form, ByRef KeyCode As Integer, ByVal Shift As Integer)
    If KeyCode = vbKeyA And Shift = acCtrlMask Then 'Catch Ctrl+A
        KeyCode = 0 'Suppress normal effect
        On Error GoTo ExitSub 'ActiveControl causes a runtime error if none is active
        If TypeOf contextForm.ActiveControl Is TextBox Then
            With contextForm.ActiveControl
                .SelStart = 0
                .SelLength = Len(.Text)
            End With
        End If
    End If

ExitSub:
End Sub