Returns or sets the type of link used for a DDEconversation and activates the connection as follows:

Control — Allows adestination control on a Visual Basic form to initiate a conversation, as specified by the control's LinkTopic and LinkItem properties.


Form — Allows a destination application to initiate a conversation with a Visual Basicsource form, as specified by the destination application's application|topic!item expression.
Syntax

object.LinkMode [= number]

The LinkMode property syntax has these parts:

Part Description
Object Anobject expression that evaluates to an object in the Applies To list.
Number An integer that specifies the type of connection, as described in Settings.


Settings

For controls used as destinations in DDE conversations, the settings for number are:

Constant Setting Description
VbLinkNone 0 (Default) None — No DDE interaction.
VbLinkAutomatic 1 Automatic — Destination control is updated each time the linked data changes.
VbLinkManual 2 Manual — {Destination control is updated only when the LinkRequest method is invoked.
VbLinkNotify 3 Notify — A LinkNotify event occurs whenever the linked data changes, but the destination control is updated only when the LinkRequest method is invoked.


For forms used as sources in DDE conversations, the settings for number are:

Constant Setting Description
VbLinkNone 0 (Default) None — No DDE interaction. No destination application can initiate a conversation with the source form as the topic, and no application canpoke data to the form. If LinkMode is 0 (None) atdesign time, you can't change it to 1 (Source) atrun time.
VbLinkSource 1 Source — Allows any Label, PictureBox, or TextBox control on a form to supply data to any destination application that establishes a DDE conversation with the form. If such a link exists, Visual Basic automatically notifies the destination whenever the contents of a control are changed. In addition, a destination application can poke data to any Label, PictureBox, or TextBox control on the form. If LinkMode is 1 (Source) at design time, you can change it to 0 (None) and back at run time.


Remarks

The following conditions also apply to the LinkMode property:

Setting LinkMode to a nonzero value for a destination control causes Visual Basic to attempt to initiate the conversation specified in the LinkTopic and LinkItem properties. The source updates the destination control according to the type of link specified (automatic, manual, or notify).


If a source application terminates a conversation with a Visual Basic destination control, the value for that control's LinkMode setting changes to 0 (None).


If you leave LinkMode for a form set to the default 0 (None) at design time, you can't change LinkMode at run time. If you want a form to act as a source, you must set LinkMode to 1 (Source) at design time. You can then change the value of LinkMode at run time.
Note Setting a permanent data link at design time with the Paste Link command from the Edit menu also sets the LinkMode, LinkTopic, and LinkItem properties. This creates a link that is saved with the form. Each time the form is loaded, Visual Basic attempts to re-establish the conversation

LinkItem, LinkMode, LinkTopic Properties Example
In the example, each mouse click causes a cell in a Microsoft Excel worksheet to update the contents of a Visual Basic TextBox control. To try this example, start Microsoft Excel, open a new worksheet named Sheet1, and put some data in the first column. In Visual Basic, create a form with a TextBox control. Paste the code into the Declarations section, and then press F5 to run the program.

Private Sub Form_Click ()
   Dim CurRow As String
   Static Row   ' Worksheet row number.
   Row = Row + 1   ' Increment Row.
   If Row = 1 Then   ' First time only.
      ' Make sure the link isn't active.
      Text1.LinkMode = 0
      ' Set the application name and topic name.
      Text1.LinkTopic = "Excel|Sheet1"  
      Text1.LinkItem = "R1C1"   ' Set LinkItem.
      Text1.LinkMode = 1   ' Set LinkMode to Automatic.
   Else
      ' Update the row in the data item.
      CurRow = "R" & Row & "C1"
      Text1.LinkItem = CurRow   ' Set LinkItem.
   End If
End Sub