[RESOLVED] Combobox display properties

[gwboolean]

I have a combobox that needs to display the text, "Department", when displayed on a form. The combobox is data bound and displays the values from a lookup table in the dataset. I have set the following properties for the combobox, in the code, as follows:

                .cmbDepartment.DataSource = subPickList.lkpDepartmentBindingSource
                .cmbDepartment.DisplayMember = "chrDepartment"
                .cmbDepartment.ValueMember = "chrDepartment"
                .cmbDepartment.Text = "Department"

The combobox works as required, but the text of the combobox displays the first record value instead of the text, "Department". Department is displayed the first time the form is called, but not after that.

[.paul.]

I just found a simple way...

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        ComboBox1.DataSource = New String() {"one", "two", "three"}
        'change text
        ComboBox1.SelectedIndex = -1
    End Sub

    Private Sub ComboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ComboBox1.SelectedIndexChanged
        If ComboBox1.SelectedIndex = -1 Then
            'if nothing selected, display "Department"
            ComboBox1.Text = "Department"
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        'change text
        ComboBox1.SelectedIndex = -1
    End Sub

End Class

[jmcilhinney]

Is the DropDownStyle set to DropDown or DropDownList? If it's DropDown then you should be able to display text that isn't in the drop-down list but that also means that the user can type anything they want into the control. If it's DropDownList then the control can only display text from the property/column of the DataSource whose name is assigned to the DisplayMember.

Another option is to use a watermark, although this might only be possible with a ComboBox if the DropDownStyle is DropDown too.

http://www.aaronlerch.com/blog/2007/...edit-controls/

[gwboolean]

JM, the property is set to DropDown. I am not at all familiar with a watermark.

Paul, setting the .SelectedIndex then setting the text property value works. Thanks.