Theoretical question

[alcorjr]

Hi guys, can anybody explain to me or provide a link to the effect, on what is the difference between a Userform Activate and Userform Initialize event ?
Thanks a lot

 

[tusharm]

What does help contain on the subject? Where do you get stuck / confused?

 

[Mudface]

The Initialize event fires first and occurs as soon as you reference the form's name in your code before the form becomes visible.

The Activate event fires when the form first becomes visible or when you shift focus from another object.

 

[Monkey]

This is the way I see it,

With Userform activate the procedure runs when it is Selected or on an other way activated.
The userform Initialize just loads conditions you've set on the userform. In this case there is no interaction between human and machine.

I could be mistaking like I said earlier. If I am please let us all know


Greetings,

monkey

 

[alcorjr]

Thanks everybody for your quick reply.
Well, the vba help is quite cryptic, as is often the case.
I'm not getting stuck anywhere, the thing is that as you mention, both initialize and activate events run whenever a control or object belonging to that userform is mentioned in other parts of the code.
Now, I have some script that resets certain variables when that userform is "opened". I only want them to be reset when it is "opened", not every time it's mentioned. Currently I'm preventing this to happen with the use of some flags, but I was wondering if I had included the "reset" script under the right event. I had it under "ACTIVATE" and then I changed it to "INITIALIZE", but I'm not getting the desired effects (I still have to use the flags).

Thanks a lot from sunny Costa Rica

 

[tusharm]

Well, the vba help is quite cryptic, as is often the case.

Obviously, we disagree

both initialize and activate events run whenever a control or object belonging to that userform is mentioned in other parts of the code.

No, no one wrote that and neither does help indicate that. Try this test with XL2000 or later. It will make very explicit how the events work.
Create two userforms named Userform1 and Userform2. In the code module for Userform1, put in:

Option Explicit

Private Sub UserForm_Activate()
    MsgBox "In Userform1_Activate"
    End Sub

Private Sub UserForm_Click()

End Sub

Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
    MsgBox "In Userform1_Initialize"
    End Sub

For Userform2, use:

Option Explicit

Private Sub UserForm_Activate()
    MsgBox "In Userform2_Activate"
    End Sub

Private Sub UserForm_Click()

End Sub

Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
    MsgBox "In Userform2_Initialize"
    End Sub

Now, in a standard module, enter

Sub testIt()
    Load UserForm1
    Load UserForm2
    UserForm1.Show vbModeless
    Application.Wait Now() + TimeValue("0:0:3")
    UserForm2.Show
    End Sub

Run the code in testIt. You will get the messages:
Userform1_Initialize
Userform2_Initialize
Userform1_Activate
Userform2_Activate

Close the open Userform2 and you will get
Userform1_Activate

Close Userform1 and the test will end.

Thanks a lot from sunny Costa Rica

Go ahead and make us feel bad. {g} Sub-normal temperatures and super-normal precipitation for a record number of days!

 

[alcorjr]

Tushar, thanks. Your reply was quite a mouthful. It took me this time to digest it.
So, I think this is what I learnt ;

the load command will trigger the Initialize event

The show command or any click on the userform itself will trigger the Activate event, and so will any reference to an object on the userform,
eg. ; na=Userform1.textbox1.value

Right??

19 degrees C. min - 25 Celsius max. no rain til September

 

[tusharm]

Tushar, thanks.

You are welcome.

The show command or any click on the userform itself will trigger the Activate event, and so will any reference to an object on the userform,
eg. ; na=Userform1.textbox1.value

Right??

No. The Activate event triggers when the object is activated, i.e., becomes the active window. It is exactly as defined in the help file. Experiment for yourself using a testbed analogous to what I posted earlier.