DOCUMENT:Q175222  16-OCT-1997  [vbwin]
TITLE   :HOWTO: Tell if UserControl is in Design-Time or Run-Time
PRODUCT :Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
PROD/VER:WINDOWS:5.0
OPER/SYS:WINDOWS
KEYWORDS:vb5all vb5howto VBKBAX

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The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Visual Basic Control Creation, Professional, and Enterprise
   Editions for Windows, version 5.0
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SUMMARY
=======

When creating a UserControl in Visual Basic you may have code that you
don't what to run when the control is on a Form at design-time, but you do
want to run when the Form is in run-time. This article shows how to use the
AmbientProperties Object to tell when a host container of a control is in
design or run-time.

MORE INFORMATION
================

When a UserControl is placed on a form, any constituent controls that are
in the control are in run-time mode, not design-time mode. Usually this
does not cause any trouble for the developer. But there are cases where you
need to have an event happen only when the container for the UserControl is
in run-time. The following example shows how to enable or disable a Timer
control by testing to see if the container is in design-time or run-time.

Step-by-Step Example
--------------------

1. Create a New Standard EXE project.

2. From the Project Menu, select Add UserControl.

3. Add a Timer and a Label control to the UserControl.

4. Add the Following Code to the UserControl:

      Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
         Label1.Caption = Time()
      End Sub

      Private Sub UserControl_Show()
         If Ambient.UserMode Then 'We are in run-time
            Timer1.Interval = 1000
            Timer1.Enabled = True
         Else 'We are in design-time
            Timer1.Enabled = False
            Label1.Caption = "design time"
         End If
      End Sub

5. Close the UserControl.

6. Add the UserControl to Form1.

7. Run the Form.

8. Close the Form.

REFERENCES
==========

Visual Basic Component Tools Guide, Chapter 9.

Additional query words: ActiveX Control
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Keywords          : vb5all vb5howto VBKBAX
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

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