Binaryworld - Add an horizontal scrollbar to a ListBox control ... [ VB -> Forms & Controls ]

By default, VB ListBox controls don't display an horizontal scrollbar, so if the items you add to the controls are wider than the control's Width, the end user isn't able to read them in their entirety.

Adding an horizontal scrollbar to a ListBox control is easy, however. You only have to increase the so called the control's horizontal extent, which you do by sending it a LB_SETHORIZONTALEXTENT message. Here's a reusable routine that does the trick:

Click here to copy the following block

Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal _
  hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, _
  lParam As Any) As Long

Const LB_SETHORIZONTALEXTENT = &H194

' Set the horizontal extent of the control (in pixel).
' If this value is greater than the current control's width
' an horizontal scrollbar appears.

Sub SetHorizontalExtent(lb As ListBox, ByVal newWidth As Long)
  SendMessage lb.hwnd, LB_SETHORIZONTALEXTENT, newWidth, ByVal 0&
End Sub

'The LB_GETHORIZONTALEXTENT message is useful to retrieve the current value of the horizontal extent:
Const LB_GETHORIZONTALEXTENT = &H193

' Return the horizontal extent of the control (in pixel).

Function GetHorizontalExtent(lb As ListBox) As Long
  GetHorizontalExtent = SendMessage(lb.hwnd, LB_GETHORIZONTALEXTENT, 0, _
    ByVal 0&)
End Function