Label selected features in ArcMap using ArcObjects

Summary

This article shows how to label the selected features in ArcMap using VBA and ArcObjects.

Procedure

1. Create a UIButtonControl.
   
   

   Note:
   For information on creating a UIControl, see the ArcGIS Desktop Help topic "How to create custom commands with VBA." 

   
   
2. Right-click the UIButtonControl and select View Source.
3. Copy this code into the UIButtonControl's Click event.
   
   

   Code:
   'Get the focus map
   Dim pDoc As IMxDocument
   Set pDoc = ThisDocument
   Dim pMap As IMap
   Set pMap = pDoc.FocusMap
   
   ' Get the selected layer
   Dim pLayer As IGeoFeatureLayer
   Set pLayer = pDoc.SelectedLayer
   ' Make sure a layer was selected
     If pLayer Is Nothing Then
       MsgBox "You must select a Layer to Label"
       Exit Sub
     End If
   
   ' Get the feature class to get the correct
   ' oid field name for the data type (oid,fid,objectid)
   Dim pFc As IFeatureClass
   Dim strOIDName As String
   Set pFc = pLayer.FeatureClass
   strOIDName = pFc.OIDFieldName
   
   ' Get the selected features from the layer
   Dim pFSel As IFeatureSelection
   Set pFSel = pLayer
   Dim pSelSet As ISelectionSet
   Set pSelSet = pFSel.SelectionSet
   Dim pFCur As IFeatureCursor
   pSelSet.Search Nothing, False, pFCur
   ' Loop through the selected features and create a label
   ' expression for the selected features
   Dim pFeat As IFeature
   Dim strSql As String
   Set pFeat = pFCur.NextFeature
     Do While Not pFeat Is Nothing
       If strSql = "" Then
         strSql = strOIDName & " = " & pFeat.OID
       Else
         strSql = strSql & " or " & strOIDName & " = " & pFeat.OID
       End If
       Set pFeat = pFCur.NextFeature
     Loop
   Debug.Print strSql
   
   ' Get AnnotateLayerPropertiesCollection from layer
   Dim pAnnoLayerPropsColl As IAnnotateLayerPropertiesCollection
   Set pAnnoLayerPropsColl = pLayer.AnnotationProperties
   Dim pAnnoLayerProps As IAnnotateLayerProperties
   pAnnoLayerPropsColl.QueryItem 0, pAnnoLayerProps, Nothing, Nothing
   pAnnoLayerProps.Class = "LabelSel"
   pAnnoLayerProps.WhereClause = strSql
   ' Display the lables
   pLayer.DisplayAnnotation = True
   ' Refresh the Data Frame
   pDoc.ActiveView.Refresh
   

   
   
4. Select the layer, in the TOC, to label.
5. Select the features to label.
6. Click the new UIButtonControl.