Expansion

[SilverBean]

I got a slick little interface working. I got a list of names in a listbox running along the left hand side, and when user clicks on a name detailed information appears on the right in a tabbed control(i.e., stuff like address tab, telephone tab, etc.) – all is well…..except.



You guessed it user would also like the option of just typing in a name from the list.



2 options as I see it:



(1) Combo Box: The App is running in front of some inexperienced users, although I’d love to have the screen space back I could make use of it when it when the combo is collapsed. I’m concerned that when it does collapse user’s might forget to click on a new name in the list. Yes, in trials my users are sitting there saying “da, how do I select a name?”. I thought of some visual aids and wording like big arrows pointing and such. Anybody have any luck with forcing combo boxes to stay expanded. Any way of forcing the combo boxes to expand? AutoExpand property to No, no help. Combo.Dropdown was promising I'm sure its fine it will expand the box dynamically but I'm seeing some display glitches. When my form opens for instance I have some code which runs hide some controls the user doesn't need to see, well combo drops down alright but its like the form redraws itself during the load or open events so where the drop down is and where the actual box itself is never quite in sync - hard to explain but not right and weird. Also after users clicks in the combo that baby contracts no matter what. No matter what event .Dropdown is in the combo contracts Also I gotta do a SetFocus before the DropDown kind of risky for what I'm doing.



(2) List Box with text box - got a neat little function runs on the Key Up event of a text box event goes looking through the list box to see if matches text box and then highlights it. The only problem is I can't simulate a click in order for the list box to update itself - not even by calling its click event. For example, I actually sneak an ID into a hidden column of my listbox so I know what filter to apply to the tab pages. Well I make an item in the ListBox.Selected=True the right item is highlighted and then I do ListBox.Column(1) to see whats in my secret column and its says NULL very bad.

 

[PHV]

Hopefully your ListBox don't allow MultiSelect ...

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

 

[axism]

typing in a name as in new name or typing it as a search thing? not sure about first one, but if you are just trying to look for a name, I would say go with the comb box option.

 

[Godofhell]

SilverBean, I created a small database with what you are trying to do, unfortunately I can not find a way to attach it. If you want to get it let me know. The idea is to set the criteria of the details used to work with igther the combo box value or the list box value. I set my list box so that onclick it removes the value from the combo box and uses the list box, when the combo box is used the query ignores the value from the list box and uses the combo box. This way users can type in the name on the combo box or selected from the list to get the details.

 

[SilverBean]

Sorry folks anybody that was trying to send me something. Just got a nasty notification when I logged in my info had been somewhat dated and their was an old E-Mail address present which no longer works. Yes mutliselect is off you bet. Yea I had thought about the listbox/ combo box thing too. I don't need to see that DB in an E-Mail, but thanks for the time. I may revisit the both option(Combo and List). I recollect the problem was(which may not be part of your prototype): that the listbox is bound to my hidden column and all tab pages which contain child forms update on list box clicks. All the sub forms are bound I believe link is the right term. Access definatly did NOT like the combox box being bound, I tried it for fun. I think this puts me back at the same problem as to how to force the list box to update to that record, but maybe I should do a go to record or something?

 

[TheAceMan1]

How are ya SilverBean . . . . .

[blue] . . . got a neat little function runs on the Key Up event of a text box event goes looking through the list box to see if matches text box and then highlights it. [purple]The only problem is I can't simulate a click . . .[/purple][/blue]

Event if you could setup a trigger, this method is prone to [blue]false triggers[/blue]. The [blue]false triggers[/blue] are rlated to short names which are part of other longer names. As an example consider the following names are in the list:

[blue]Davis
Davison[/blue]

As you have it,if the user wanted [purple]Davison[/purple] you'd get a [blue]false triggers[/blue] on [purple]Davis[/purple]. The point is, there's no way to know what the user is after.

Since there typing, whats wrong with them [blue]hitting enter as the trigger[/blue] and using the AfterUpdate event of the textbox to call the Listbox AfterUpdate event?

See Ya! . . . . . .