Allow computer keypad form be controlled from keyboard - vb6

Question

I have created a dialer in VB6 to dial a phone number. It has the following buttons: the digits 0-9, backspace, "Call", and "Disconnect". Now I want enter numbers in the form using the keypad part of the keyboard. In the text box, any key can be typed in using the keypad. But I only want the number pad to operate.
For that I checked ASCII values using the KeyPress event - seeing if the pressed key value lies in between 47 and 58. But along with the key values its ASCII values are also getting displayed in the text box.
One more thing - I have one MS Flex Grid on the form along with the dialer. So when the cursor is on the form, or if the mouse is clicked anywhere other than the text box, values don't display in the text box. So how do I always keep focus on the text box?
Dim val As Integer
Private Sub append(val As Integer)
Text1.Text = Text1.Text & val
End Sub
Private Sub Backspace_Click()
With Text1
'FOCUS TO THE TEXTBOX
.SetFocus
'PUT THE CURSOR AT THE END OF THE TEXT
.SelStart = Len(.Text)
'SEND THE KEY
SendKeys ("{BACKSPACE}")
'AND THATS IT :D
End With
End Sub
Private Sub key_0_Click()
val = 0
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_1_Click()
val = 1
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_2_Click()
val = 2
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_3_Click()
val = 3
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_4_Click()
val = 4
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_5_Click()
val = 5
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_6_Click()
val = 6
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_7_Click()
val = 7
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_8_Click()
val = 8
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_9_Click()
val = 9
append val
End Sub
Private Sub Text1_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
If (KeyAscii > 47 And KeyAscii < 58) Then
val = KeyAscii
append val
Else
KeyAscii = 0
' Text1.Text = KeyAscii
End If
End Sub
'Private Sub Text1_LostFocus()
' Text1.SetFocus
'End Sub

Answer 1

You could set the KeyPreview property on the form to true.
When you have done that, put your code in the KeyPress of the form that was in the KeyPress of the Textbox, and set the text value of the textbox, or better still move the code into a function and set it from there, that way you won't need to duplicate your code if you need it in other places.
Have a look at this and see if it helps it is the KeyPreview from MSDN
Hi,
Sorry for the delay. To use the KeyPreview for the form give this a try:
Double click on the form in the project to open it
In the properties for the form find the KeyPreview Property and set it to true
Double click on the form to bring up the code window
Select the keypress event for the form, and add the following code, or something similar.
Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
Text1.Text = Text1.Text & Chr$(NrOnly(KeyAscii))
End Sub
Use the function NrOnly that Hqrls has posted as that will allow only numbers which could help you with the validation. You won't need any code in the Text1_KeyPress, the form will now handle that for you.
Give it a try and let me know if you need any other information and I'll see what I can do.
[EDIT 29/05/2014]
Hi,
I've had a bit of a play around with the code and added some bits in which I think might help. Have a look at this and see if it make sense. If you copy it into your code then make sure you back up your original code just in case you need to get back to it.
This is the code if you keep your textbox
Option Explicit
Dim val As String
Dim m_blnTextHasFocus As Boolean 'Added this, so it knows wether the the textbox
'has the focus or not
'it is so the sendkeys doesn't get stuck in a
'loop with the key presses
Private Sub append(strIn As String)
'Changed the parameter from an int to a string, so we can use it in the key press events
Text1.Text = Text1.Text & strIn
End Sub
Private Sub Backspace_Click()
'Moved the code into it's own sub
DeleteAChar
End Sub
Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
'Handle a key press if the textbox doesn't have the focus but ignore the keypress if it does
If Not m_blnTextHasFocus Then
If IsNumeric(Chr$(KeyAscii)) Then
append Chr$(KeyAscii)
ElseIf KeyAscii = vbKeyBack Then
DeleteAChar
End If
End If
End Sub
Private Sub key_0_Click()
val = "0"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_1_Click()
val = "1"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_2_Click()
val = "2"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_3_Click()
val = "3"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_4_Click()
val = "4"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_5_Click()
val = "5"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_6_Click()
val = "6"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_7_Click()
val = "7"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_8_Click()
val = "8"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub key_9_Click()
val = "9"
append val
End Sub
Private Sub Text1_GotFocus()
m_blnTextHasFocus = True
End Sub
Private Sub Text1_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
'Check the keyascii value and ignore it if it isn't numeric or backspace
If Not IsNumeric(Chr$(KeyAscii)) And KeyAscii <> vbKeyBack Then
KeyAscii = 0
End If
End Sub
Private Sub DeleteAChar()
With Text1
'FOCUS TO THE TEXTBOX
.SetFocus
'PUT THE CURSOR AT THE END OF THE TEXT
.SelStart = Len(.Text)
'SEND THE KEY
SendKeys ("{BACKSPACE}")
'AND THATS IT :D
End With
End Sub
Private Sub Text1_LostFocus()
m_blnTextHasFocus = False
End Sub
If you don't need to keep the textbox then you could replace it with a label and have a try with that. It would remove the need to keep track of if the textbox has got the focus or not. Have a go with this and see if it helps any. The only other thing is to make sure KeyPreview is turned on for the form or the keypress code will only work for the form if it has the focus.

Answer 2

Is the textbox the only control you want to have the focus ?
In that case you can use the following code:
Private Sub Text1_LostFocus()
Text1.SetFocus
End Sub
If there are any other controls you want to be able to have the focus as well, then you can use Text1.SetFocus in the _GotFocus() event of the controls which you do not want to have the focus
Another possible solution would be to use the _KeyPress() event of the other controls as well, and convert your current Text1_KeyPress() event to a general function which can be called by the _KeyPress() event of the other controls .. make sure though that you send the output of this general function to the correct textbox
If you post the relevant parts of your code we might be able to give a more specific answer
[EDIT]
for the answer to your original question, go with the answer of lardymonkey using keypreview on the form
an example function for allowed only numeric keys and the backspace:
Private Sub Text1_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
KeyAscii = NrOnly(KeyAscii)
End Sub
Private Function NrOnly(intAscii As Integer) As Integer
Dim intReturn As Integer
intReturn = intAscii
Select Case intAscii
Case vbKeyBack
Case vbKey0 To vbKey9
Case Else
intReturn = 0
End Select
NrOnly = intReturn
End Function