VBA Command Button array - vba

Question

I'm currently working on a project where I'll be selecting up to 5 items to compare to each other, with the results being displayed in up to a 5x5 dynamic grid. My objective is to have this grid be composed of command buttons such that the caption of each button is the percent similarity between the row and column items, and on clicking the button, the units that are common between the row and column items will be displayed in a message box.
I more or less know how to generate the actual array of buttons. However, everything I've read suggests that I need to create a class to handle the button clicks, since I don't feel like making 20 subroutines that all have the same code in them. I have not been able to get this class to work properly, and I could use some tips. Here's what I have so far.
In a class module named DynButton:
Public Withevents CBevents as MSForms.CommandButton
Private Sub CBevents_Click()
DisplayOverlappedUnits 'Sub that will display the units that are the same
'between items i and j- may use Application.Caller
End Sub
And in the userform itself:
Private Sub Userform_Initialize()
Dim NumItems as integer
Dim ComparisonArray() as DynButton
Dim ctlButton as MSForms.CommandButton
'QuestionList() is a public type that stores various attributes of the
'items I'm comparing.
'This code determines how many items were selected for comparison
'and resets the item array accordingly.
NumItems=0
For i=1 to 5
If QuestionList(i).Length>0 Then
NumItems=Numitems+1
QuestionList(NumItems)=QuestionList(i)
End If
Next
Redim ComparisonArray(1 to NumItems, 1 to NumItems)
For i = 1 to NumItems
For j=1 to NumItems
Set ctlButton=Me.Controls.Add("Forms.CommandButton.1", Cstr(i) & Cstr(j) & cb)
With ctlButton
.Height= CB_HEIGHT 'These are public constants defined elsewhere.
.Width= CB_WIDTH
.Top= TOP_OFFSET + (i * (CB_HEIGHT+ V_PADDING))
If i = j Then .visible = False
.Caption= CalculateOverlap(i,j) 'Runs a sub that calculates the overlap between items i and j
End With
Set ComparisonArray(i,j).CBevents = ctlButton
Next
Next
End Sub
Currently, I get a "Object with or Block variable not set" when I hit the Set ComparisonArray line, and I'm stymied. Am I just missing something in the class module? Thanks in advance for the help.
Edited to add: I tried to model the class code in part off of this article, but again I haven't got it to work yet. http://www.siddharthrout.com/index.php/2018/01/15/vba-control-arrays/

Answer 1

Private Sub Userform_Initialize()
Dim NumItems as integer
Dim ComparisonArray() as DynButton '<<<< should be a Global variable
As soon as Userform_Initialize completes, ComparisonArray() will go out of scope and no longer exist: you need to make that a Global variable in your form so it will be around to handle any events.

Answer 2

Your code seems correct and interesting. The only (bug) I could see is:
Redim ComparisonArray(1 to NumItems, 1 to NumItems)
...
Set ComparisonArray(i,j).CBevents = ctlButton
The problem is that your array holds null references. You have not created your DynButton objects yet. You must explicitly creat the objects in your array.
Redim ComparisonArray(1 to NumItems, 1 to NumItems)
For i = 1 to NumItems
For j = 1 to NumItems
Set ComparisonArray(i,j) = new DynButton
Next
Next
...
Set ComparisonArray(i,j).CBevents = ctlButton
Also, declare the array ComparisonArray as a member object of the form, not as a local variable in Form_Initialize.

Answer 3

Only copy paste
Option Private Module
Option Explicit
Private Const i_total_channels As Integer = 100
Sub createArrayOfbuttons()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
f_create_buttons 5, 5, 30, 5, True
End Sub
Sub clearArrayOfButtos()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
f_clear_array_of_buttons
End Sub
Private Function f_create_buttons(Optional posLeft As Integer = 0, Optional posTop As Integer = 0, _
Optional sizeSquare As Integer = 20, Optional distBetween As Integer, Optional buttonColor As Boolean = False)
'create customized buttons to channel choice.
Dim i_ch_amount_x As Integer
Dim i_ch_amount_y As Integer
Dim i_size_X 'size of square button
Dim i_size_Y 'size of square button
Dim i_stp_X As Integer 'step in X
Dim i_stp_Y As Integer 'step in Y
Dim i_dist_bte_buttons As Integer 'distance between buttons, in X and Y
Dim i_pos_ini_X As Integer 'initial position
Dim i_pos_ini_Y As Integer
Dim it_x As Integer 'iterator
Dim it_y As Integer 'iterator
Dim amount As Integer 'channel acumulator
Dim FO_color As Integer 'index from 1 to 12 to change background color of button
f_clear_array_of_buttons
i_pos_ini_X = posLeft
i_pos_ini_Y = posTop
'create dimensions of square
i_size_X = sizeSquare
i_size_Y = i_size_X 'to create a square Y need same size of X
'distance between squares
i_dist_bte_buttons = i_size_X + distBetween 'to shift distance change laste value of expression
i_stp_X = i_pos_ini_X
i_stp_Y = i_pos_ini_Y
i_ch_amount_x = Int(Sqr(i_total_channels)) 'total channels in switch (i_ch_amount_y * i_ch_amount_x)
i_ch_amount_y = i_ch_amount_x
amount = 1
FO_color = 1
For it_y = 1 To i_ch_amount_x
For it_x = 1 To i_ch_amount_y
f_create_button amount, i_stp_X, i_stp_Y, CSng(i_size_X), CSng(i_size_Y), FO_color
i_stp_X = i_stp_X + i_dist_bte_buttons
amount = amount + 1
If buttonColor Then
FO_color = FO_color + 1
End If
If FO_color > 12 Then 'return FO to 1
FO_color = 1
End If
Next it_x
i_stp_X = i_pos_ini_X
i_stp_Y = i_stp_Y + i_dist_bte_buttons
Next it_y
amount = 0
i_ch_amount_x = 0
i_ch_amount_y = 0
i_size_X = 0
i_size_Y = 0
i_stp_X = 0
i_stp_Y = 0
i_pos_ini_X = 0
i_pos_ini_Y = 0
i_dist_bte_buttons = 0
FO_color = 0
End Function
Private Function f_create_button(index As Integer, posLeft As Integer, posRight As Integer, _
Box_width As Single, Box_height As Single, Optional FO As Integer)
ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, posLeft, posRight, Box_width, Box_height). _
Select
With Selection
.Name = "ch_" & index
.Text = index
.Font.Name = "Arial"
.Font.Bold = True
If FO = 9 Then
.Font.Color = vbWhite
Else
.Font.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End If
.Font.Size = 10
.Interior.Color = fiber_color(FO)
.HorizontalAlignment = xlCenter
.VerticalAlignment = xlCenter
End With
End Function
Public Function fiber_color(Optional FO As Integer = 1) As Long
'use with a index in FO from 1 to 12
Select Case FO
Case 1
fiber_color = 65280 'green
Case 2
fiber_color = 65535 'yellow
Case 3
fiber_color = 16777215 'white
Case 4
fiber_color = 16711680 'blue
Case 5
fiber_color = 255 'red
Case 6
fiber_color = 16711823 'violt
Case 7
fiber_color = 19350 'brown
Case 8
fiber_color = 13353215 'pink
Case 9
fiber_color = 0 'black
Case 10
fiber_color = 16711680 'cinza
Case 11
fiber_color = 32767 'orange
Case 12
fiber_color = 16776960 'aqua
Case Else
fiber_color = 65280 'verde
End Select
End Function
Private Function f_clear_array_of_buttons()
Dim i_ch_amount_x As Integer
Dim it As Integer
i_ch_amount_x = i_total_channels
On Error GoTo sair
If ActiveSheet.Shapes.Count <> 0 Then
For it = 1 To i_ch_amount_x
ActiveSheet.Shapes("ch_" & it).Delete
Next it
End If
sair:
i_ch_amount_x = 0
it = 0
End Function