Combo box doesn't retrieve correct record

[premis]

I'm having some trouble with a combo box in my form. I have a database of clients, I use the combo box to retrieve a client by selecting them in the box. My problem is that if I have multiple clients with the same last name the combo box will pull the first client alphabetically by first name that share the same last name. For example, if I have 3 clients, Bob Smith, Fred Smith, and Sam Smith. If I select "Bob Smith" in the combo box it goes to the record for "Bob Smith, however, if I select either "Fred Smith" or "Sam Smith" it still goes to the record for "Bob Smith"



Anyone know a solution for this??

[rpeare]

It sounds to me like one of two things is happening:

1. Your client table does not have a primary key
2. If your client table DOES have a primary key you are not using that as the bound column of your combo box.

In order for a combo box to function as a search you must have a way to uniquely identify items in the list by a SINGLE field.

What you want to do is put the PK of your clients table (assuming you have one, autonumber field for instance) as the first column of your combo box, then you can concantenate the lastname, firstname as your second column

Clientname: LastName & ", " & firstname

then make the WIDTH of your first column 0 (the PK field) and the width of the second column as wide as you want (the clientname field)

[premis]

It sounds to me like one of two things is happening:

1. Your client table does not have a primary key
2. If your client table DOES have a primary key you are not using that as the bound column of your combo box.

In order for a combo box to function as a search you must have a way to uniquely identify items in the list by a SINGLE field.

What you want to do is put the PK of your clients table (assuming you have one, autonumber field for instance) as the first column of your combo box, then you can concantenate the lastname, firstname as your second column

Clientname: LastName & ", " & firstname

then make the WIDTH of your first column 0 (the PK field) and the width of the second column as wide as you want (the clientname field)

That did it!, thanks for the help!!