vba or api hilite partial text in a textbox and place the text cursor (not the mouse) after the hilited text

Dear Experts,

I am taking a multi-line textbox in access (I cannot add a rich text box control to the form, access says it cannot add it, so this is a regular textbox) and when the user types in something on the first line and then types in something on the second line that matches the first I want it to automatically fill in the first word (the one from line1) on the second line, hilite it in case the user is trying to type something else, and then put the cursor position for the textbox right after the hilited text.

So, if user types this on the first line:
SMITH JOE
And then on the second line types
SM
I want it to automatically fill in SMITH on the second line, hilite SMITH and then put the caret right next to it on the right (right now it is putting it on the left)

The simple answer would be to simply set the selstart to the length of the line, but doing so unhilites the text, I will post my partially working code below in the code section..

Note: I am willing to use windows API calls if that's what it takes to do this.

Thanks! ~Michael

Private Sub Seller_KeyUp(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    Dim myText$, buyerText$, currKey$
    currKey = Chr(KeyCode): myText = UCase(Nz(Me.Seller.text)): buyerText = UCase(Nz(Me.Buyer))
    If InStr("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ", UCase(currKey)) > 0 Then
        If InStr(myText, vbCr) > 0 Then
            Dim line2$, line1$, line1_word1$, line2_word1$, newText$, newPos As Integer
            line1 = firstLine(myText)
            line1_word1 = firstWord(myText)
            line2 = secondLine(myText)
            line2_word1 = firstWord(line2)
            If InStr(line2, " ") > 0 Then Exit Sub 'must be still typing the first word of the second line
            If Len(line2_word1) < 2 Then Exit Sub
            If line2_word1 = Left(line1_word1, Len(line2_word1)) Then
                'words are matching, insert word and hilite just that word
                newText = line1 & vbCrLf
                newPos = Len(newText) + 1
                newText = newText & line1_word1 & " "
                Me.Seller = newText
                Me.Seller.SelStart = newPos
                Me.Seller.SelLength = Len(line1_word1) + 1	'now the cursor is on the left of the hilited text (selstart) which is wrong
            End If
       end if
end sub

'Other supporting functions

Public Function firstLine(ByVal someStr$) As String
    firstLine = myTrim(someStr, vbCrLf)
    If InStr(firstLine, vbCrLf) = 0 Then Exit Function
    firstLine = Left(firstLine, InStr(firstLine, vbCrLf) - 1)
End Function

Public Function secondLine(ByVal someStr$)
    'returns "" if there is no 2nd line
    Dim linePos As Integer
    linePos = InStr(someStr, vbCrLf)
    If linePos = 0 Then Exit Function
    secondLine = Mid(someStr, linePos + 2)
    linePos = InStr(secondLine, vbCrLf)
    If linePos > 0 Then secondLine = Mid(secondLine, 1, linePos - 1)
End Function

Public Function firstWord(ByVal someStr$) As String
    firstWord = Trim(someStr)
    If InStr(firstWord, " ") = 0 Then Exit Function
    firstWord = Left(firstWord, InStr(firstWord, " ") - 1)
End Function

Select allOpen in new window