Execute Button Click event on Enter keypress

[mcupito]

I am trying to make it easier on the end user. I have a button that populates a DataGridView, however instead of forcing the users to click the button every time, I would like the "Enter" keypress event to also handle what the button does.

Does anyone know how to do this? (Simply?)

[Luk3r]

There are a couple of things you have to worry about here... the first being, what is actually selected on your form? The form itself? The button? A textbox? Whatever is "selected" is where you would want to detect the "ENTER" keypress. For example: Let's say I am wanting label1.text to equal what I type in textbox1.text, without a button. I would create a function and call it via keyup, keydown, or keypress of textbox1. It's hard to describe, so I will just give you an example:

'Function that gets called when hitting "ENTER" inside textbox1
 Private Sub EnterClick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs)
        If e.KeyCode.Equals(Keys.Enter) Then
            label1.text = textbox1.text
        End If
    End Sub


'Checks for the "ENTER" key inside textbox1
Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles TextBox1.KeyDown
        Call EnterClick(sender, e)
    End Sub

Your other alternative would be to NOT use a function and simply check for the ENTER keyup, keydown, or keypress inside the textbox:

Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles TextBox1.KeyDown
        If e.KeyCode.Equals(Keys.Enter) Then
            label1.text = textbox1.text
        End If
    End Sub

[mcupito]

Great! Thanks. It is actually the OnEvent ButtonClick. I think I am trying to accomplish the latter of your examples. If Enter were pressed while the Last Name text box has focus, I would want to execute the code I have written for the OnClick Event for the Button.

I am not a great programmer, but how would I call the event in that scenario?

Private Sub SearchLastTxt_K eyDown(ByVal sender as System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows. Forms.KeyEventA rgs) Handles SearchLastTxt.K eyDown

If e.Keycode.Equal s(Keys.Enter) Then
???? How do I call the button click event????
End If
End Sub

[Luk3r]

If you're calling the function (Call EnterClick(send er, e)), but if you're just using If e.Keycode.Equal s(Keys.Enter) Then, then you simply put the action within the If...Then statement. The reason I said it'd be best to call a function is because you could do it in this way:


Private Sub EnterClick(ByVa l sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows. Forms.KeyEventA rgs)
If e.KeyCode.Equal s(Keys.Enter) Then
'code to populate your datagridview
End If
End Sub


Then, when you hit enter while the text box has focus, you simply call the event with Call EnterClick(send er, e).

Also, under your button click event, you would also use Call EnterClick(send er, e), since the button click and ENTER keypress would be completing the same task. This will save you from having duplicate code for two different events.

Here's some sample code that I think you could work from. Maybe just create a new app, add a button, textbox, and a datagridview and play with it:

Public Class Form1
    Private Sub EnterClick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs)
        If e.KeyCode.Equals(Keys.Enter) Then
            DataGridView1.Rows.Add(TextBox1.Text)
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Call EnterClick(sender, e)
    End Sub

    Private Sub TextBox1_KeyDown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles TextBox1.KeyDown
        Call EnterClick(sender, e)
    End Sub
End Class

[mcupito]

Thank you for the response. Great answer, by the way.

[mcupito]

One more question, for the row:

 DataGridView1.Rows.Add(TextBox1.Text)

I am using this to populate the datagridview1. How would I change it to accomodate this function?

 If SearchFirsttxt.Text = "" Then
            SqlCommand.CommandText = "Select * FROM PARTICIPANT WHERE LAST_NM_TXT = '" & eLast & "';"
        ElseIf SearchLastTxt.Text = "" Then
            SqlCommand.CommandText = "Select * FROM PARTICIPANT WHERE FIRST_NM_TXT = '" & eFirst & "';"
        Else
            SqlCommand.CommandText = "Select * FROM PARTICIPANT WHERE FIRST_NM_TXT = '" & eFirst & "' and LAST_NM_TXT = '" & eLast & "';"
        End If

Dim myAdapter As New SqlDataAdapter(SqlCommand) 'holds the data
        myAdapter.Fill(dt) 'datatable that is populated into the holder (DataAdapter)
        DataGridView1.DataSource = dt 'Assigns source of information to the gridview (DataTable)

[Luk3r]

Simply replace DataGridView1.R ows.Add(TextBox 1.Text) with your code that populates the data. :)

[justkidding]

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
     'code for populating datagridview
End Sub

Private Sub Button1_KeyPress(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyPressEventArgs) Handles Button1.KeyPress

     If Asc(e.KeyChar) = 13 Then
           Button1_Click(Me, EventArgs.Empty)
     End if

End Sub

[Luk3r]

@justkidding, mcupito stated that he would have focus on a textbox that when hitting ENTER it would perform the same action as the button. So using a Button Keypress event would not suffice. That being said, if you changed your Button Keypress to a Textbox Keypress, your code is a great alternative (for those that don't like using sub methods).