VFP9: Customizing autocomplete dropdown? 1

[awaresoft]

Is it possible to customize the autocomplete dropdown feature introduced in VFP 9?

I would like to:

1. Have the drop down left aligned with and sized to the width of its parent's control; IMO, the default dropdown appearance looks sloppy - especially if it contains entries wider than the textbox itself

2. Control height of the dropdown in terms of number of entries to prevent hiding critical information below the dropdown;

3. Trap Del keypress event (and/or rightmouse event) when the drop down is active so I can delete the currently selected item in the drop down from the AutoCompSource field

Any ideas?

 

[craigsboyd]

Well one out of 3 is a start:

For #2: SYS(2910 [, nValue])

http://www.sweetpotatosoftware.com

 

[awaresoft]

Craig,

Thank you. Actually its now 2 of out 3. VFP 9's Autocomplete does allow a user to delete a high-lighted entry in the dropdown by clicking the Del key. I believe the reason this didn't work for me originally was because I may have had the autocomplete table open in another session?

Malcolm

 

[vfpgolfer]

Hi Guys - I find autocomplete is not really complete (no pun intended). In word, if you have an autotext entry (i.e. "This is a test") and type "this" - the text appears and pressing enter or tab accepts it. In VFP9 autocomplete, you have to click on the entry then press enter (or double click). Our testers are complaining about this "feature". Is there any way to make it work properly?

Rick

p.s. - Hi Craig - we should talk one of these days when you/I are not so busy!

 

[craigsboyd]

vfpgolfer,

Busy all over these days it seems. As to the autocomplete, you're right that it doesn't quite work the same, but then they had to take into consideration that the Tab and Enter keys are used to move from control to control in a large number of VFP apps. It can still be done from the keyboard however... once the autocomplete dropdown shows up the user can us the arrow key to select the one they want and then pressing Tab, Enter, or Space bar will select the chosen entry. It's not a perfect solution, but a number of the users at this end have found it workable and better than no autocomplete at all.

http://www.sweetpotatosoftware.com

 

[awaresoft]

Rick and Craig,

I'm on the road and don't have my Marcia Akins 1001 or 1002 VFP solution books handy, but I seem to remember that one of Marcia's book may have included an autocomplete solution more compatible with what the rest of us expect than VFP 9's autocomplete approach.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?

I'll check my library when I return home at the end of the week.

Malcolm

 

[vfpgolfer]

there was an FAQ - but it built it's own tables etc (I think - I just glanced at it - might have been on a combo box)

 

[Mike Gagnon]

vfpgolfer

faq184-1792 refers to a combobox.

Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.