Combo Box on Form Simple Issue

[anoob]

Hello,
Well, slowly but surely I am plodding along...

I have a combo box on a form, and when I select one of the options (a numeric client ID number) it fills the other form fields with the correct data. However, is there a way to make the combo box options display in a more usable way?

Right now I have to select the actual client ID, which is an auto number and not really usable. Can I make the combo box display the First Name and Last Name (these are in two separate fields on the table), arranged by the last name, and when one is selected still fill the field with the proper Client ID?

For example, right now I have:

===============
Client \/
===============
1
2
3
.....

I Would like to see:

===============
Client \/
===============
Jim Allen
Bob Astler
Caryn Coollady
Chip Dupree
.....



*Even fancier would be "Allen, Jim" "Astler, Bob" "Coollady, Caryn" ... but I'll be happy with either.*

When a name is selected, the combo box field would fill with the correlating Client ID - not the name. (I have had the work with a single name field, but when I select one I get an error - incorrect datatype - because the field tries to fill with the name, not the ID (I believe)).

If there is a best practice to this type of thing I'm all ears.

Many thanks.

[NTC]

include those columns in the underlying record source for the combobox (if a query)

modify the combobox properties to include additional columns

modify the combobox properties that control the width of each column - making your first column (autonumber) to be 0 width so it isn't seen.

Hope this helps.

[anoob]

Oh wow - this worked perfectly, thank you so much.

I see that I am able to set a field to do this sort of lookup whether it is in the table itself or in a form - is this something you would usually want to keep on a form?

Again, just wondering "best practices".
Thanks.

[NTC]

not sure I follow your question; but generically speaking - - a combo/list box is typically used find an entire record for the form. While a 'lookup' field is field specific.

The lookup is a nice table field feature - if used correctly. My favorite generic example is the 50 USA states 2 letter abbreviation; AK AL MN etc. It makes alot of sense to have a 50 record table with these - No need to have any key id . Then in your transaction table the 'State' field is a lookup of this info of that table - just an easy way to insert the Initials. One can apply this to any simple text info that is repeated alot and looked up - like an employee name perhaps.

but there are alot of variations to these 2 approaches and they are not set in stone. there are valid arguments against lookup fields - but if you keep to simple data without binding key fields one it is a nice feature.

hope this helps.

[anoob]

It does - thank you.