[RESOLVED] Auto searching textbox Help and Advice please

My project is the management of a large music library.
I have some files scanned as PDF and others stored as paper in filing cabinets.
My task is to combine the information in both to create one catalogue.
My solution is to run two XML data file initially. One is up and running and creates a partial catalogue of all the PDF files and parts. Now I am a-working on the second part which is to enter details of the paper music without compromising the PDF data.

I am hoping to have a Google-like textbox for to enter the title but as I do so, I would like it to present matching titles from the PDF data file in case there is a clash. Of course, if the file does not already exist I need to have it accept the title as a new one.

Should I create a user-control with a textbox and listbox and some code to search the first XML file base on the Text Changed event? Or is there a better solution?

Thanks for looking
Penfound

Any sort of catalog that is over a hundred or so entries will benefit from using a simple database as the back end. This makes looking up items by different criteria a snap. You can slice and dice your data anyway you like.

You interface with the database by entering queries.
for example:

"SELECT Title, Composer, DatePublished, HardCopy
FROM SheetMusic WHERE Title LIKE '%Blue%'
AND Composer = 'Steve Holy'
AND DatePublished < 1940"

Would return "Blue Moon Steve Holy 1934 True". If it was filed as hardcopy.

Fooling around with text files of any kind for this purpose is a huge waste of time in IMHO.

You can have simple textboxes setup so that their contents generate your query string in a simple way.

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BTW be careful about adding new data. It should require you to push a button to add something otherwise if you mis-spell a title or name you could have an entry you do not want.

Thank You Gruff I believe you are right about using a DB on he back end. I use XML to store the data locally but /I can easily chuck it into a db of some sort.

Cheers
Penfound