Scroll bar to only show when needed in text box

[Miles R]

I have a text box where the text may or may not fit. I can show the vertical scroll bar to allow me to scroll through all the text. But, I don't want the scroll bar to be visible if there is no need.


I searched the internet and found the following for :Microsoft Office Access 2003

• Click the Format tab, and do one of the following:
  
  • To specify that scroll bars never appear in the text box, set the Overflow, OverflowX, and OverflowY properties to Hidden.
  • To specify that scroll bars appear in the text box only when necessary, set the Overflow, OverflowX, and OverflowY properties to Auto.
  • To add a vertical scroll bar to a text box, set the OverflowX property to Hidden and the OverflowY property to Scroll.
  • To add a horizontal scroll bar to a text box, set the OverflowX property to Scroll and the OverflowY property to Hidden

​However, there do not appear to be any such properties in Access with Office 365. Has this functionality been removed, or are they perhaps hidden properties that can only be set from VBA?


Ideally of course, I want to be able to disable the text box if all the data fits, so I don't have to see the annoying cursor either. Even with the scroll bar, I don't need to see the cursor, as the text is locked.

[June7]

Never head of 'em. Not seeing options in Access 2010.

What cursor? The one that shows in textbox when it has focus? Why does a locked textbox have focus?

[isladogs]

I have a text box where the text may or may not fit. I can show the vertical scroll bar to allow me to scroll through all the text. But, I don't want the scroll bar to be visible if there is no need.
I searched the internet and found the following for :Microsoft Office Access 2003

• Click the Format tab, and do one of the following:
  
  • To specify that scroll bars never appear in the text box, set the Overflow, OverflowX, and OverflowY properties to Hidden.
  • To specify that scroll bars appear in the text box only when necessary, set the Overflow, OverflowX, and OverflowY properties to Auto.
  • To add a vertical scroll bar to a text box, set the OverflowX property to Hidden and the OverflowY property to Scroll.
  • To add a horizontal scroll bar to a text box, set the OverflowX property to Scroll and the OverflowY property to Hidden

​However, there do not appear to be any such properties in Access with Office 365. Has this functionality been removed, or are they perhaps hidden properties that can only be set from VBA?

Those properties were for Data Access Pages - a feature that has long been deprecated

The A2003 info for textboxes in a form was:

Click the Format tab, and in the ScrollBars property box, do one of the following:

1. 
   
   • To specify that a scroll bar for a text box never appears, click None.
   • To specify that a scroll bar for a form never appears, click Neither.
   • To specify that a vertical scroll bar for a text box always appears, click Vertical.
   • To specify that a vertical scroll bar for a form appears when necessary, click Vertical Only.
   • To specify that a horizontal scroll bar for a form appears when necessary, click Horizontal Only.
   • To specify that both vertical and horizontal scroll bars appear when necessary, click Both.

[Miles R]

A locked textbox can have focus. It just means the data can't be changed, but it needs focus if you need to scroll up and down the locked data. If the text box is disabled, then it can't have focus and you don't see the cursor (and you can't scroll up and down either).

[Miles R]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I thought as much. Its a pity though, because on forms and such, the scroll bar only appears when needed.
Don't see why that feature should have been removed from text boxes though - there is no point in seeing a scroll bar if it does not do anything.
In your reply though, you specify the option could be Vertical Only - which is what I want. I can't see that option though - just Vertical or None (typing Vertical Only is not accepted in the field).

Actually, I suspect the reason this option is not available, is because it can't tell whether the text is too big for the text box, so can't decide if the scroll bar is needed or not, so it always displays it if specified.

[June7]

A textbox has only one scrollbar - vertical. Vertical means Vertical Only. Just select Vertical from the dropdown.

If you don't click or tab into textbox, there is no cursor displayed in it. Can still click scrollbar even though it is not showing, the space for it is reserved. However, clicking on scrollbar when cursor is not positioned within textbox highlights all text. So which is less objectionable?

Never removed from normal forms. Data Access Pages was a feature of web database.

[Miles R]

Thanks for the reply, but I am fully aware that a textbox has only a Vertical scroll bar, and I am using it.
But, as far as I can see from my own use, Vertical does not mean Vertical Only, as in IslaDogs reply, because if it did, the scroll bar would only be visible if needed.
If you select Vertical, the scroll bar is always visible, whether needed or not - at least it is on my system.

[June7]

The Only part of VerticalOnly and HorizontalOnly does not mean "show only if needed" it means "only available"; and yes, if any form scrollbars are available they show only if needed. Therefore, Vertical means VerticalOnly because only vertical is available. Unfortunately, "if needed" is not programmed into textbox scrollbar.

If Data Access Pages could conditionally display textbox scrollbar, one would think this could be programmed for a normal form and textbox.

[Miles R]

Yes, I think the answer to why it is not programmed into a textbox maybe as I suspected earlier. i.e. It is difficult to determine with a normal font how many lines the text takes up, so it does not know whether a scroll bar would be needed.
I have tried in vain to determine this myself in the past. It is easier, with Fixed Width fonts such as Consolas, which I often use.
Having said that, I am sure behind the scenes it must know how many text lines there are, as it obviously fills the text box with the lines.

[isladogs]

Several years ago I was involved in a similar thread at another forum. I've just managed to find that thread which contains solutions for both single forms & continuous forms.
As it isn't possible to change the default behaviour, each involves a work-around but may be good enough for your needs.
https://www.access-programmers.co.uk...xt-box.294529/

Hopefully you will find one of those useful

Also, you can determine the exact width of a section of text no matter which font is used. To do so, use the multi-purpose Wizhook function which is a hidden & undocumented function used in Access wizards.
See my article which covers (amongst many other items) its GetTwipsFromFont feature: https://www.isladogs.co.uk/wizhook/

[Miles R]

Thanks again for the reply. I did come across that thread in my searches. I'm not sure its the same issue, as I'm more concerned about not showing the scroll bar in a text box, rather than showing it.
I was not aware of the Wizhook function and it could be used to determine the number of rows with a bit of effort probably. A lot of effort I think.

Ideally, what I would have liked is the following :-
1. Only show the Vertical Scroll bar if the text has too many lines to fit in the text box.
2. Never show the blinking cursor in the text box.

Its not really worth the effort of trying to get that to work. I can live with the cursor, and mostly I don't even show the scroll bar. I just use the SendKeys "{UP 16}" and SendKeys "{DOWN 16}" on the mouse wheel to scroll the text.
It works pretty well.

[isladogs]

I agree that its not worth the time and effort in trying to get this to work as you wanted.