Tip 186: Formatting Text in a Rich Text Box Control in Visual Basic 4.0

February 28, 1996

Abstract
The Microsoft? Visual Basic? version 4.0 Rich Text Box control allows the
user to enter and edit text. In addition, this control provides more
advanced formatting features than the conventional TextBox control. This
article explains how to display selected text in different fonts in the
Rich Text Box control.

Using the TextRTF Property of a Rich Text Box Control
The Microsoft? Visual Basic? version 4.0 Rich Text Box control is an
advanced version of the TextBox control. Text entered in a Rich Text Box
control can be formatted in different colors, fonts and font styles, and
point sizes. For example, you can make text appear in bold or italic. You
must remember that the Rich Text Box control formatting codes apply to the
currently selected text only, not to all text in the control.

In the example program below, you fill a Rich Text Box control with a list
of all screen fonts installed in the computer system. This is accomplished
by using the TextRTF property to tell the Rich Text Box control to display
the text in the selected font.

Note: The TextRTF property requires the Microsoft Windows? 95 or Microsoft
      Windows NT? 3.51 or later operating system.

Example Program
This program shows how to display text in different fonts in a Rich Text
Box control.

 1. Create a new project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
 2. Add a Rich Text Box control to Form1. Rich-Text Box1 is created by
    default.
 3. Add a Command Button control to Form1. Command1 is created by default.
 4. Add the following code to the Click event for Command1:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim X As Integer
    Rich-Text Box1.Text = ""
    For X = 0 To Screen.FontCount - 1
        DoEvents
        With Rich-Text Box1

           Var = .TextRTF
            var1 = Right(Var, Len(Var) - 1)
            .Text = Screen.Fonts(X)
            Var = .TextRTF
            var2 = Left(Var, Len(Var) - 3)
            Var = var2 & var1
            .TextRTF = Var
            .SelStart = 0
            .SelLength = Len(Screen.Fonts(X))
            .SelFontName = Screen.Fonts(X)
            .SelFontSize = 12
        End With
    Next X
End Sub

Run the example program by pressing F5. Click the Command Button control.
After a short delay, the Rich Text Box control is populated with a list of
all installed screen fonts. Each font is displayed in its 12-point size.

Additional References
"RichTextBox." (Library, Product Documentation, Languages,
   Visual Basic 4.0 Professional and Enterprise Editions,
   Custom Control Reference, RichTextBox)
"TextRTF Property." (Library, Product Documentation, Languages,
   Visual Basic 4.0 Professional and Enterprise Editions,
   Custom Control Reference, RichTextBox)