This article shows you how to programmatically change a control on a form from one type to another. By using the ControlType property in a Visual Basic for Applications procedure, you can change a text box into a combo box, a toggle button into an option button, and so on.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

The method described in this article uses a custom Visual Basic for Applications function (called from a command button on Form1) to change the ControlType property of a text box (on Form2) to a combo box. You have to use two forms because the ControlType property is available only in a form's Design view. As a result, you cannot use Visual Basic for Applications to change a control's type while the form that contains the control is open in Form view.

To programmatically change a form's control type, follow these steps:

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. Create a new form not based on any table or query and name it Form1.
3. Add a command button to the Form1 form and set its properties as follows:
   Name: Command0
   Caption: Change Control Type
4. Set the command button's OnClick property to the following event procedure:

         Private Sub Command0_Click()
   
            If Forms!Form2.CurrentView <> 0 Then DoCmd.OpenForm "Form2", _
            acDesign
   
            If Forms!Form2![CategoryName].ControlType = acComboBox Then
              Forms!Form2![CategoryName].ControlType = acTextBox
            Else
              Forms!Form2![CategoryName].ControlType = acComboBox
            End If
   
         End Sub
   						

5. Close and save the Form1 form.
6. Make a copy of the Categories form and call it Form2.
7. Open the Form2 form in Form view.
8. Open the Form1 form in Form view and click the command button. Note that the Form2 form opens in Design view and that the CategoryName control changes from a text box to a combo box. When you click the Change Control Type button again on the Form1 form, the CategoryName control in the Form2 form changes back to a text box.

NOTE: When you change a control to another type of control, Microsoft Access copies the appropriate property settings from the original control to the new control. If a property exists for the original control but not for the new control, Microsoft Access does not copy it. If a property exists for the new control but not for the original control, Microsoft Access sets the property to the default control for that type of control.

For more information about the ControlType property, search the Help Index for ControlType.