asked on

Trapping non-text paste into richtextbox

I have a richtextbox which i dont want users to be able to paste anything but text into (ie. files, images etc..) i have the following code which detects the paste action within my textbox but whatever i try to do it still pastes the file into it.

if i try pasting a piece of text then the relevant msgbox appears but if i paste an object such as a file it doesnt display a msgbox and pastes the file into the box.

==================================================================
Private Sub Form_KeyUp(KeyAscii As Integer, Shift As Integer)
If KeyAscii = (vbKeyV And Shift = 2) Then
If Clipboard.GetFormat(1) <> True Then
MsgBox ("YOU ARE PASTING A FILE")
Clipboard.Clear
KeyAscii = 0
Else
MsgBox ("YOU ARE PASTING TEXT")
End If
End If

End Sub
==================================================================

i have disabled OLEdrag. I am only using a richtextbox so i can colour certain pieces of text red

Anthony Perkins

I am assuming the Form KeyPreview property is true. Than the problem you are encountering happens when the RichTextBox does not have the focus.

Try detecting in the KeyPress event as opposed to the KeyUp event (as an aside the parameters in the KeyUp event are KeyCode and Shift, not KeyAscii and Shift), you also may find it simpler to read:

Change your code as follows:

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)

If KeyAscii = 22 Then ' User pressed Ctrl-V
If Clipboard.GetFormat(1) <> True Then
MsgBox ("YOU ARE PASTING A FILE")
Clipboard.Clear
KeyAscii = 0
Else
MsgBox ("YOU ARE PASTING TEXT")
End If
End If

End Sub

Anthony

RichBisset

ASKER

i tried out your suggestions Anthony and i now have the form's KeyPreview property set to true and have moved the code to the KeyPress event instead.

However, now it lets me paste the file into the RTB once only, every subsequent time it just displays the message box and doesnt paste.

Anthony Perkins

Post your complete code where you do your paste.

Anthony

RichBisset

ASKER

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyCode As Integer)

If KeyCode = 22 Then ' User pressed Ctrl-V
If Clipboard.GetFormat(1) <> True Then
Clipboard.Clear
KeyCode = 0
txtMsgContent.SetFocus
MsgBox ("YOU ARE PASTING A FILE")
Else
MsgBox ("YOU ARE PASTING TEXT")
txtMsgContent.SetFocus
End If
End If

End Sub

Anthony Perkins

I was only assuming that the Form KeyPreview property was set to true as you were using the Form_KeyPress, I was not recommending it. Here is a better solution that does not rely on this property being set to True. The caveat is that in order to paste the text to the Rich Text Box it must have the focus.

1. Start a new project.
2. Add the Microsoft Rich TextBox (RichTextBox1) to your form.
3. Add the following code (notice that the correct paramter name for the _KeyPress events is "KeyAscii"):

Private Sub RichTextBox1_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)

If KeyAscii = 22 Then ' User pressed Ctrl-V
If Clipboard.GetFormat(1) <> True Then
Clipboard.Clear
KeyAscii = 0
MsgBox "YOU ARE PASTING A FILE"
Else
MsgBox "YOU ARE PASTING TEXT"
End If
End If

End Sub

Anthony

RichBisset

ASKER

I tried out the above solution but it still pastes the file the first time and then every subsequent time it doesnt.

It does display the msgbox in both cases however.

Anthony Perkins

Try commenting out the Clipboard.Clear line, and you may find it more succesful the second time around. As in:

If KeyAscii = 22 Then ' User pressed Ctrl-V
If Clipboard.GetFormat(1) <> True Then
' Clipboard.Clear '<-- Comment this line
KeyAscii = 0
MsgBox "YOU ARE PASTING A FILE"
Else
MsgBox "YOU ARE PASTING TEXT"
End If
End If

End Sub

Anthony

Anthony Perkins

I believe I misunderstood you. Remove the KeyPress event and try it this way (not unlike your original plan, except I am using KeyDown event for the RichTextBox, rather than the KeyUp event for the Form)

Private Sub RichTextBox1_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)

If KeyCode = vbKeyV And (Shift And vbCtrlMask) > 0 Then
If Clipboard.GetFormat(vbCFText) Then
MsgBox "YOU ARE PASTING TEXT"
Else
Clipboard.Clear
KeyCode = 0
MsgBox "YOU ARE PASTING something else"
End If
End If

End Sub

Anthony

RichBisset

ASKER

Thats seems to have done the trick. however when i paste a file in to the field it doesnt paste the file but it still outputs the 'v' of CTRL + V.

This is a strange as, when i paste text it doesnt paste an extra 'v'.

Any ideas?

Private Sub txtMsgContent_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)

If KeyCode = vbKeyV And (Shift And vbCtrlMask) > 0 Then
If Clipboard.GetFormat(vbCFText) Then
Else
MsgBox "You can only paste textual data into this field", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "Warning"
End If
End If

End Sub

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Anthony Perkins

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RichBisset

ASKER

That did the trick.

Many thanks Anthony