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TitleMake a label blink
Keywordsblink, label, color, flash
CategoriesControls, Graphics
 
Use a Timer. When the Timer fires, switch the label's ForeColor and BackColor properties.

This example stores the colors each label should use when the program is in one of two states. Form_Load initializes the controls' colors.

 
' Initialize blink colors.
Private Sub Form_Load()
    ' lblBlink(0)
    ' State 0 = Black on background color
    ' State 1 = Disappears
    ForeColors(0, 0) = vbBlack
    BackColors(0, 0) = BackColor
    ForeColors(1, 0) = BackColor
    BackColors(1, 0) = BackColor

    ' lblBlink(1)
    ' State 0 = Disappears
    ' State 1 = Red
    ForeColors(0, 1) = BackColor
    BackColors(0, 1) = BackColor
    ForeColors(1, 1) = vbRed
    BackColors(1, 1) = BackColor

    ' lblBlink(2)
    ' State 0 = Black
    ' State 1 = White
    ForeColors(0, 2) = vbBlack
    BackColors(0, 2) = BackColor
    ForeColors(1, 2) = vbWhite
    BackColors(1, 2) = BackColor

    ' Perform the first blink to set valid colors.
    tmrBlink_Timer
End Sub
 
When the Timer event fires, the program toggles the state value between 0 and 1. Then for each label control, it looks up the foreground and background colors it should use to display the label in the current state.
 
Private Sub tmrBlink_Timer()
Static state As Integer

Dim i As Integer

    state = 1 - state
    For i = 0 To 2
        lblBlink(i).ForeColor = ForeColors(state, i)
        lblBlink(i).BackColor = BackColors(state, i)
    Next i
End Sub
 
 
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