[RESOLVED] ComboBox w/ Datareader

[jdaustin]

I'm using a DataReader to populate a combo box. Its simple enough -

Dim clsDB As New DBClass
        Dim dr As SqlDataReader
        clsDB.ConnString = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings("ConnString")
        clsDB.SPName = "mmu_Select_ChangeCodes"
        dr = clsDB.GetDR
        Do While dr.Read()
            Me.cboChangeCode.Items.Add(dr.Item("change_code_desc"))
        Loop
        dr.Close()

The problem with doing it this way is I cant set a Value member.

If I bind the Datareader to the control via

Me.cboChangeCode.DataSource = dr
        Me.cboChangeCode.DisplayMember = "change_code_desc"
        Me.cboChangeCode.ValueMember = "change_code"

I get the following error, "Additional information: Complex DataBinding accepts as a data source either an IList or an IListSource"

The goal i need is to have index value and a display value on each combo box.

This was so much simpler in vb6.....

[mar_zim]

Hello welcome to the forum!

When binding a data in combobox use a datasource its either an array/arraylist or dataset/datatable. You could use a dataadapter then fill the data to your datatable then you could bind the datatable to your combobox. Search here and surely you could find a lot of it.

[jdaustin]

ok, I changed the datareader to a datatable and that did what I needed to do.

But i'm still not a fan of databinding. Perhaps its because I did a lot of complex ASP/VBScript pages in the past so I was used to dumping recordsets into arrays. I prefer using Datareaders for most everything because there fast and simple, but how can I set a displaymember and valuemember of a combo box, especially if I just to a read through a DR and add an item?

Additionally, what is the difference between a DataTable and DataSet? I tried doing this with a Dataset and the valuemember wouldn't bind.

[fret]

Additionally, what is the difference between a DataTable and DataSet? I tried doing this with a Dataset and the valuemember wouldn't bind.

A DataSet is a representation of collection of Databases objects including tables of relational databases scheme. It contains collection of Tables, Relations , constraints...

I've read that here