Hiding controls

[gg80]

On certain forms & reports, I like to block the view several controls at once with a rectangle or a text box-it simplifies the form for the user. It also means I don't have to put in a bunch of Control.visible=true or false statements, but just one for the hider. When certain controls change values or buttons clicked, the rectangle uncovers and makes those controls available.



I am seeing, to me, a weird phenomena. On a columnar form, the top control only in the list always shows through the rectangle. Send to back, front doesn't affect it, it just shows. I found this true in a2003 with XP and a2007 with W7. Any ideas?

[June7]

Does that control have focus?

[gg80]

That's it-thanks much for quick solution. Not sure how I got away with it before, I must have set focus on some other control not under the "blanket".

[June7]

This works to hide the controls but controls are still enabled and available to user. If these are data entry controls and they tab or enter to advance to next control they will still have to tab through them unless you have TabStop property set to No on ALL data entry controls. I think is more confusing and annoying to user. That's why I rejected the idea of a 'blanket' on my forms and use individual code statements to set properties of controls - Enabled, Visible, TabStop, Locked, ControlSource, BackStyle, BackColor. More work for me but only have to do it once and friendlier for user.