Combobox and bound column settings

[RabbidB]

Good day all,



I'm looking for a work around for getting the bound column setting for a combo box to work. I created a simple table with 2 fields that i have a combo box pointed to. My settings for the combo box are

Column count 2
Bound column 2

The first field is "Description"
The 2nd field is "ID"

I cannot figure out how to have column 2 to be the value that is left in the combo box once I have made my selection.

Any help would be more than greatly appreciated.


Thank you

[June7]

Most people have the ID as first column and hide it. You want to show it?

[Dal Jeanis]

Both values are "Left in" the combo box after you have made your selection. A VBA or macro reference to the combo box will retrieve the value of the bound column, and the combo box will display whatever column(s) you have told it to when you set the Column Widths property of the combo box.

If the combo box is bound to a different table, with a rowsource in your simple table, then the bound column of the combo box determines what value is stored in the other table.

If this is not the behavior that you are experiencing, please describe exactly what it IS doing, and we can help you figure out what settings need to be adjusted.

[RabbidB]

Thank you for posting so quickly,



I could have done that, however when someone goes in and starts typing to do a lookup for a value, ideally they would find the description and not the ID, and after they make their selection, only the ID remains. That's why I like having the description as the first column.

[June7]

Still don't understand. Do you WANT the ID to display in combobox?

If not, try:

RowSource: SELECT ID, Description FROM table;
BoundColumn: 1
ColumnCount: 2
ColumnWidths: 0";2.0"

[RabbidB]

After I click the drop down the list looks like this:

Descrition ID
First Unit 13001181
Second Unit 13100113
Third Unit 20001111
4th Unit 20001452


So that my individuals can click the combo box and start typing to find the description of the ID, I kept the description in the first column. And once they find the correct item, they make their selection and the ID is the only info that is left in the combo box.


v/r,


RabbidB

[RabbidB]

Thought I put this in the last reply;

I do want the ID to be left in the combo box.

[June7]

My next question: Why have a cryptic number display instead of meaningful text?

I suggest you have the combobox set up as I described. Then have an unbound textbox with an expression to display the number: =[comboboxname]

[RabbidB]

I actually need both pieces of information displayed. The information is actually UNIT IDENTIFICATION CODES (UIC) for all military units throughout the world. I probably don't have all of them, but I have acquired most. For our database we need the specific UIC to go with the military unit description. In my database I have a text box where individuals can type in the unit name, and in this combo box they have the option of typing in the unit name in order to find the associated UIC. As in the previous reply, the UIC is a weird number. If I have column 1 set as the UIC, whenever someone clicks on the combo box and starts typing, they will not get very far unless they are familiar with the over 1300 different UICs. Everyone that will use this database is familiar with the units though and I'm hoping to make finding the UIC easier by finding the associated unit.

Thinking about it now, I suppose I could make two different tables and hide one of the two columns that I do not need for each combo box.

In the beginning when I started to change the settings of my combo boxes, I had thought it would be as easy as setting the column count to 2, and then setting the bound column to 1 or 2 depending on what value I wanted the database to display in the combo box.


Thank you,


v/r,

RabbidB

[June7]

My suggestion will display both pieces of information and allow typing the description.

Why would two tables be helpful?

[Dal Jeanis]

The alternative is to have a combobox and a display-only text box. The afterupdate of the combobox sets the value of the text box. That way, both items can be displayed without interfering with the basic functionality of the combobox.

[RabbidB]

I'll try doing that. Can I have my combo box look up the units and UIC and after I make my selection, both columns be displayed in the combo box?





Thank you

[RabbidB]

Dal Jeanis,


This seems like a good idea.


Thank you.

[June7]

There is no code required with the combobox and textbox approach. See post 8.

If you want both values to show in the combobox, concatenate fields in the RowSource:

SELECT ID, Description & " : " & ID AS Info FROM tablename;

[Dal Jeanis]

Ah. June's right, RabbidB, use her way.