Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function

Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys

Code Window General Use Keys
Use these key combinations in the Code window:
Shortcut Keys Description
CTRL+C Copy the selected text to the Clipboard.
CTRL+X Cut the selected text to the Clipboard.
DELETE or DEL Delete the selected text.
CTRL+V Paste the Clipboard contents at the insertion point.
CTRL+Z Undo the last editing action in the current line.
CTRL+DELETE Delete to the end of the word.
CTRL+BACKSPACE Delete to the beginning of the word.
SHIFT+TAB Remove indent.
TAB Increase indent.
F2 Display the object browser.
F9 Set or remove a breakpoint.
CTRL+SHIFT+F9 Clear all breakpoints.
F5 Run an application (or continue running, if in break mode.
F8 Execute code one line at a time (single step).
SHIFT+F8 Execute code one procedure at a time (procedure step).
CTRL+BREAK Stop running a Visual Basic application.
HOME Move the cursor to the beginning of text in a line.
END Move the cursor to the end of text in a line.
CTRL+SPACEBAR Turn on Complete Word.
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Next procedure
CTRL+UP ARROW Previous procedure
SHIFT+F2 Go to the definition of the selected procedure.
CTRL+SHIFT+F2 Go to last position.
 Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function
Form Window Keys
Use these key combinations in the Form window:
Shortcut Keys Description
F7 Open the Code window for the selected object.
CTRL+C Copy the selected controls to the Clipboard.
CTRL+X Cut the selected controls to the Clipboard.
DEL Delete the selected controls without placing them on the Clipboard.
CTRL+V Paste the Clipboard contents on the form.
CTRL+Z Undo a deletion of controls.
TAB Cycle forward through controls in tab order.
SHIFT+TAB Cycle backward through controls in tab order.
CTRL+CLICK Add or remove a control from the selection.
CLICK+DRAG Select multiple controls and press Escape key to end.
SHIFT+CLICK Select multiple controls on form.
CTRL+E Display the Menu Editor (design time only).
F4 Display the Properties window (design time only).
CTRL+J Bring to front (affects overlapping controls at design time only).
CTRL+K Send to back (affects overlapping controls at design time only).
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the control down one grid unit.
CTRL+UP ARROW Move the control up one grid unit.
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the control right one grid unit.
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the control left one grid unit.
Immediate Window Keyboard Shortcuts
Use these key combinations in the Immediate window:
Shortcuts Keys Description
ENTER RETURN Run a line of selected code.
CTRL+L Display Call Stack dialog box (break mode only).
CTRL+ENTER Insert carriage return.
CTRL+HOME Move the cursor to the top of the Immediate window.
CTRL+END Move the cursor to the end of the Immediate window.
Menu Editor Keys
Use these key combinations in the Menu Editor:
Shortcuts Keys Description
ALT+R Move an item to a lower level in a hierarchical menu.
ALT+L Move an item to a higher level in a hierarchical menu.
ALT+U Move an item one line up.
ALT+B Move an item one line down.
 Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function
Watch Window Keyboard Shortcuts
Use these key combinations in the Watch window:
Shortcuts Keys Description
SHIFT+ENTER Display the selected watch expression.
CTRL+W Display Edit Watch dialog box.
ENTER Expands or collapses the selected watch value if it has a plus (+) or
minus (-) to the left of it.

Microsoft Visual Basic Functions

Microsoft Visual Basic String-Handling Functions

Function: Len(string)

Description: Returns a Long containing the length of the specified string 

Example: lngLen = Len("Visual Basic")  ' lngLen = 12 

Function: Mid(string, start[, length])

Description: Returns a substring containing a specified number of characters from a string. 

Example: strSubstr = Mid$("Visual Basic", 3, 4)          ' strSubstr = "sual"
strTest = "Visual Basic"
Mid(strTest, 3, 4) = "0000"      ‘strTest=”Vi0000 Basic” 
 Function: Left(string, length)
Description: Returns a substring containing a specified number of characters from the
beginning (left side) of a string. 
Example: strSubstr = Left("Visual Basic", 3)      ' strSubstr = "Vis" 
 Function: Right(string, length)
Description: Returns a substring containing a specified number of characters from the end
(right side) of a string. 
Example: strSubstr = Right$("Visual Basic", 3)    ' strSubstr = "sic" 
 Function: UCase(string) 
Description: Converts all lowercase letters in a string to uppercase.
Example: strNew = UCase$("Visual Basic")           ' strNew = "VISUAL BASIC" 

 Function: LCase$(string) 

Description: Converts all uppercase letters in a string to lowercase.  

Example: strNew = LCase$("Visual Basic")           ' strNew = "visual basic" 

 Function: InStr([start,] string1, string2)

Description: Returns a Long specifying the position of one string within another. The search
starts either at the first character position or at the position specified by the
start argument. 
Examples: lngPos = Instr("Visual Basic", "a") ' lngPos = 5
 Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function
lngPos = Instr(6, "Visual Basic", "a") ' lngPos = 9 (starting at position 6) 
lngPos = Instr("Visual Basic", "A") ' lngPos = 0 (case-sensitive search) 

 Function: String(number, character)

Description: Returns a string containing a repeating character string of the length specified. 
Examples: strTest = String(5, "a") ' strTest = "aaaaa"
 strTest = String(5, 97) ' strTest = "aaaaa" (97 is the ASCII code for "a") 

Function: Space(number)

Description: Returns a string containing the specified number of blank spaces. 

Examples: strTest = Space(5)           ' strTest = "     " 

 Function: Replace(expression, find, replacewith)

Description: Returns a string in which a specified substring has been replaced with another
substring a specified number of times. 

Examples: strNewDate = Replace("08/31/2001", "/", "-") ' strNewDate = "08-31-2001" 

 Function: StrReverse(string)

Description: Returns a string in which the character order of a specified string is reversed. 

Examples: strTest = StrReverse("Visual Basic")           ' strTest = "cisaB lausiV" 

 Function: LTrim(string) 
Description: Removes leading blank spaces from a string. 
Examples: strTest = LTrim("  Visual Basic  ") ' strTest = "Visual Basic  " 
 Function: RTrim(string) 
Description: Removes trailing blank spaces from a string. 
Examples: strTest = RTrim("  Visual Basic  ")      ' strTest = "  Visual Basic" 
 Function: Trim(string) 
Description: Removes both leading and trailing blank spaces from a string. 
Examples: strTest = Trim("  Visual Basic  ")       ' strTest = "Visual Basic" 

 Function: Asc(string) 

Description: Returns an Integer representing the ASCII character code corresponding to the
first letter in a string. 
Examples: intCode = Asc("*")      ' intCode = 42
intCode = Asc("ABC")    ' intCode = 65 
 Function: Chr$(charcode)
Description: Returns a string containing the character associated with the specified character
code. 
 Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function
Examples: strChar = Chr$(65)                             ' strChar = "A" 

Microsoft Visual Basic String-Based Functions

 Function:
MsgBox Message, [Buttons]+[Icon], [Title]
Description: A message box is a special form used to display a piece of information to the
user. As opposed to a regular form, the user cannot type anything on the box.
There are usually two kinds of dialog boxes you will create: one that simply
displays information and one that expects the user to make a decision.
Button Value Display
vbOKOnly 0
vbOKCancel 1
vbAbortRetryIgnore 2
vbYesNoCancel 3
vbYesNo 4
vbRetryCancel 5

Icon Value Description

vbCritical 16

vbQuestion 32

vbExclamation 48

vbInformation  64

MsgBox function can return one of the following values:

Button Return Value

vbOK 1
vbCancel 2
vbAbort 3
vbRetry 4
vbIgnore 5
vbYes 6
vbNo 7
Examples: Private Sub Form_Load()
MsgBox "Welcome to the wonderful world of Microsoft Visual Basic"
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Load()
MsgBox "Are you ready to exit application.", vbYesNo
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Load()
 Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function
MsgBox "Are you ready to exit application.", vbYesNo Or vbQuestion
End Sub
Private Sub cmdMsgbox_Click()
Dim intResponse As Integer
intReponse = MsgBox("Your printing configuration " _
& "is not fully set." & vbCrLf _
& "If you are ready to print, click" & vbCrLf & _
"(1) Yes: To print the document" & vbCrLf & _
"(2) No: To configure printing" & vbCrLf & _
"(3) Cancel: To dismiss printing", _
vbYesNoCancel + vbInformation, _
"Critical Information")
Print intReponse
End Sub
Function:
InputBox(prompt[,title,default,x-pos,y-pos])
Description:
Displays a prompt in a dialog box, waits for the user to input text or click a
button, and returns a string containing the contents of the text box.

Examples: a = InputBox("Enter value", "Input Box", "", 120, 120)

Logical Functions
Function: IsEmpty(Expression)
Description: The IsEmpty function check whether a field is empty or not.
Examples: ?IsEmpty(sFirstName)
Function: IsNull(Expression)
Description: To check whether an expression or the value of a control is null.
Examples: ?IsNull(sFirstName)
Function: IsArray(varname)
Description: Returns a Boolean value indicating whether a variavle is an array.
Examples: Dim sname As String
Dim studentName(10) As String
?IsArray(sname)
?IsArray(studentName)
Function: IsDate(expression)
Description: Returns a Boolean value indicating whether an expression is a date.
Examples: ?IsDate(BirthDate)
?IsDate(Date)
Function: IsNumeric(expression)
Description: Returns a Boolean value indicating whether an expression is a number.
Examples: ?IsNumeric(sname)
?IsNumeric(Total)
Function: IIf(expr, truepart, falsepart)
Description: Returns one of two parts, depending on the evaluation of an expression.
Examples: ?IIF(percentage>85,”A Grade”,”Below A Grade”)
Date and Time Functions
Function: Date()
 Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function
Description: To display current system date
Examples: ?Date
Function: Time()
Description: To display current system time.
Examples: ?Time
Function: Now()
Description: To display current system date and time.
Examples: ?Now
Function: Day(date),Month(date),Year(date)
Description: To get the numeric value that represents a day, Month, Year in the month.
Examples: ?Day(date) , ?Day(#12/07/2010#)
?Month(Date) , ?Month(#12/07/2010#)
?Year(Date) , ?Year(#12/07/2010#)
Function: DateAdd(Interval, Number, date)
Description: The DateAdd function is used to add a date value to another date.
Interval Used To Get
d Day
m Month
yyyy Year
Examples: ?DateAdd(“m”,3,date)
Function: DateDiff(Interval, Date1, Date2)
Description: Returns a Variant (Long) specifying the number of time intervals between two
specified dates.
Examples: ?DateDiff(“y”,BirthDate,Date)
Function: MonthName(month)
Description: Returns a string indicating the specified month.
Examples: ?MonthName(Month(Date))
Function: Second(time),Minute(time),Hour(time)
Description: To get the numeric value that represents a second, Minute, Hour in the month.
Examples: ?Second(time)
?Minute(time)
?Hour(time)
Function: Weekday(date)
Description: Returns a Variant (Integer) containing a whole number representing the day of
the week.
Examples: ?Weekday(Date)
Function: WeekdayName(weekday)
Description: Returns a string indicating the specified day of the week.
Examples: ?WeekdayName(Weekday(date))
Mathematical Functions
Function: Abs(number)
Description: To return absolute value of a number.
Examples: ?Abs(-10)
Function: Cos(number)
Description: Returns a Double specifying the cosine of an angle.
Examples: ?Cos(15)
Function: Log(number)
 Microsoft Visual Basic Shortcut Keys and Built-in Function
Description: Returns a Double specifying the natural logarithm of a number.
Examples: ?Log(15)
Function: Rnd[(number)]
Description: Returns a Single containing a random number.
Examples: ?Rnd()
?Int(5*Rnd())
Function: Round(expression [,numdecimalplaces])
Description: Returns a number rounded to a specified number of decimal places.
Examples: ?Round(8.5487,2)
Function: Sgn(number)
Description: Returns a Variant (Integer) indicating the sign of a number.
Examples: ?Sgn(15)
Function: Sin(number)
Description: Returns a Double specifying the sine of an angle.
Examples: ?Sin(15)
Function: Sqr(number)
Description: Returns a Double specifying the square root of a number.
Examples: ?Sqr(15)
Miscellanies Functions
Function: LoadPicture(filename)
Description: Loads a graphic into a form’s Picture property, a PictureBox control, or an
Image control.
Examples: Picture1.Picture = LoadPicture("c:\GreenStone.bmp")
Function: Shell(pathname)
Description: Runs an executable program and returns a Variant (Double) representing the
program's task ID if successful, otherwise it returns zero.
Examples: Shell ("c:\windows\system32\mspaint.exe")
Function: TypeName(varname)
Description: Returns a String that provides information about a variable.
Examples: Dim sName As String
Dim dSalary As Double
? TypeName(sName)
? TypeName(dSalary)
Function: VarType(varname)
Description: Returns an Integer indicating the subtype of a variable.
Examples: Dim sName As String
Dim dSalary As Double
? VarType(sName)
? VarType(dSalary)