Go4Expert - Auto Select in VB List Box

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Auto Select in VB List Box

When a List Box control has the focus, it will automatically scroll to the first item that begins with the letter you type. It will not, however, automatically select items based on more than the first letter. For example, if you type go, you may want the control to select the first item that begins with go. This tip explains how you can implement this behaviour using the API function SendMessage. Its declaration, which must be included in the program, is as follows:

Code: VB

Public Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" _
 Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
 ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, _
 ByVal lParam As String) As Long

You'll also need the following constant, which tells the List Box control to select the first item that begins with the specified prefix:

Code: VB

Public Const LB_SELECTSTRING = &H18C

In addition to the List Box, this technique requires a Text Box control. The user enters text in the Text Box, and the List Box automatically selects the first matching item. The message is sent in the Text Box's Change event procedure:

Code: VB

Private Sub Text1_Change()
 
   If Text1.Text <> "" Then
     SendMessage List1.hwnd, LB_SELECTSTRING, -1, Text1.Text
   End If
 
End Sub

Letting the user select List Box items based on more than just the first letter can be particularly useful when the list contains many items.

Re: Auto Select in VB List Box

I have it in the combo box and will soon be adding it here.

Re: Auto Select in VB List Box

Quote:

Originally Posted by shabbir

I have it in the combo box and will soon be adding it here.

All you need to do is assign the DroppedDown property to true.

Something like

Code: CSharp

cmbName.DroppedDown=true;

And then it will take care of the issue of what you type gets selected. But of course the prerequisite is to have a editable combo box.

Re: Auto Select in VB List Box

I guess VB doesn't have editable combo boxes!

Re: Auto Select in VB List Box

Quote:

Originally Posted by pradeep

I guess VB doesn't have editable combo boxes!

It has.

Re: Auto Select in VB List Box

I have a question concerning a gui. I am trying to get a selected text in a textbox to be slecected with either a swipe of a card, or a click of a button. This text will then be printed to a printer. This seems complicated, and i am trying to figure it out.

If anyone could help that would be great.

again, the text in the text box all goes to an access database...but through a search function the database comes back and filles in the appropriate text box fields. when that search happens, i need certain text to be captured. when the text is captuerd, maybe it can be pasted into a word doccument or notepad, to be automatically printed?

Thanks again. :sosp:

Re: Auto Select in VB List Box

If you jump into an year old thread with your query I doubt any one would even bother to look at it and reply