How to: Handle your own shortcuts in an application shell

Give an application shell (a main form whose areas are arranged by a WklDockLayout, with a WklNavBar and a subform that shows the pages) its own keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2 to switch pages, Ctrl+N for a new record, and F5 to refresh, that work wherever the focus is: in a text box on a page, in a WklGrid on a page, or in the shell itself.

Requires WKL Forms Object Library 1.45 or later for ShortcutKeys; the forwarding approach at the end works with 1.24 or later.

• The shell's KeyPreview isn't enough. Keys typed in a subform reach only that subform's form and its controls; the shell's Form_KeyDown never sees them.
• The layout watches the whole form. WklDockLayout.ShortcutKeys lists the key combinations in AutoKeys macro notation (^1;^2;^N;{F5}). The layout sees every key the user presses on its form, including in subforms, before Access and the control with the focus do, and raises Shortcut for any listed key.
• One place decides. The shell's Shortcut procedure runs the command and sets Handled = True; the key then doesn't reach anything else. A key left with Handled = False continues as if the layout had never looked at it.

In the module of the shell form frmShell (layout layShell, page subform sfPage):

Option Compare Database
Option Explicit
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
    Me!layShell.Object.ShortcutKeys = "^1;^2;^N;{F5}"
End Sub
 
Private Sub layShell_Shortcut(ByVal Key As String, Handled As Boolean)
    Select Case Key
        Case "^1"
            Me!sfPage.SourceObject = "frmSessions"
            Handled = True
        Case "^2"
            Me!sfPage.SourceObject = "frmCertificates"
            Handled = True
        Case "^N"
            Me!sfPage.Form!grdList.Object.NewRecord
            Handled = True
        Case "{F5}"
            Me!sfPage.Form!grdList.Object.Requery
            Handled = True
    End Select
End Sub

You can also set ShortcutKeys in Design view (property sheet, Other tab); it's saved with the form.

• Key always uses one fixed notation, regardless of how it's written in ShortcutKeys: modifiers in the order ^+%, and letters in uppercase (^N, +{F2}, {ESC}).
• A letter or digit without Ctrl (^) or Alt (%) is rejected when the list is set, because it would fire while the user types.
• Choose combinations the controls don't need themselves (among others, the grid uses the arrow keys, Enter, Delete, F2, Ctrl+C, Ctrl++, and Ctrl+-; each control's keys are listed in its reference). A listed key is offered to Shortcut first, even when a control would use it.
• WklNavBar toggles itself with Ctrl+B (ToggleShortcut), and F6 moves between the layout's areas; both keep working alongside ShortcutKeys.
• A modal dialog box or pop-up form in front receives its keys as usual; the layout reports only keys pressed on its own form.

A shell without a layout has each page forward its keys. The page form sets KeyPreview to Yes and passes Form_KeyDown (and the KeyDown event of a WKL control that has the focus) to a single public function in the shell, which returns whether it handled the key:

' Module of a page form with the grid grdCustomers.
Private Sub Form_Load()
    Me.KeyPreview = True
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    If Forward(KeyCode, Shift) Then KeyCode = 0
End Sub
 
Private Sub grdCustomers_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, ByVal Shift As Integer)
    If Forward(KeyCode, Shift) Then KeyCode = 0
End Sub
 
Private Function Forward(ByVal KeyCode As Integer, ByVal Shift As Integer) As Boolean
    On Error Resume Next
    If CurrentProject.AllForms("frmShell").IsLoaded Then
        Forward = Forms!frmShell.HandleShortcut(KeyCode, Shift)
    End If
End Function

HandleShortcut in the shell compares KeyCode and Shift (for example, KeyCode = vbKeyN And Shift = acCtrlMask) and returns True for a key it handled.

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• How to: Run grid commands from buttons
• API reference: WklDockLayout.ShortcutKeys, Shortcut