Combobox

The Combobox control is used to allow the user to select an option from a list.

The standard Combobox has the following properties:

  • Name: The name of the control

  • List: Clicking the ellipsis (...) button next to this property opens the List Selector pop-up window to map the control to a list. Alternatively you can manage these lists on the List Editor screen.

    The List Selector pop-up window allows you to build and manage lists for use in the screen controls that apply. To quickly use a list on the parent control's property select it and click the icon. Clicking the 'List' label sorts the list items switches their sorting between ascending and descending alphabetical order.

    For each list, the following actions are available through the icons on the top:

    Icon Description

    Adds a new list by providing its name and items
    Allows you to modify the details of the selected list
    Deletes the selected list

    For each list you can customise its items through the following actions:

    Icon Description

    Adds a new list item through a dialog box.

    Fill in the required parameters and then click the icon.
    Edits the selected list item. Click the icon to confirm.

    Deletes the selected list item.

    Warning: No confirmation is requested for the deletion.

    Instead of adding individual list items you can use this icon to provide multiple list items as follows:

    • You can either provide a list of items, which will use the same text for both the value and description

    • Or you can type a comma separated list with the first text for value and the text after the comma for the description
    These icons change the order of the list items within the list
  • Bind to Database Field: Used to map the control to a database field
  • Enabled (checkbox): Specifies whether the control is initially enabled or not
  • Visible (checkbox): Specifies whether the control is initially visible or not
  • Required (checkbox): Makes the control required so the user has to make an input
  • Tab stop (checkbox): It must be enabled in order for the control to be included in the tabbing sequence
  • Tab Order: Sets the tab order for the control
  • Comment: Allows you to add details of the control use, which will be output to any documentation produced
  • OnAction: Allows you to define a function to run when the control's Events are triggered. Click Clear to remove this function.

  • Style: Allows you to select a style defined in the Style Editor
  • Font: Allows you to define the font used for the text
  • Tooltip: The text to be displayed when you hover the mouse over the control
  • Background Colour: The background colour of the control
  • Foreground Colour: The text colour
  • Is right-to-left: Inverts the writing direction allowing you to type from the right to the left

  • Connection: The connection string to be used to connect to the database. It can be left empty if using the project database.

  • SQL: The query used to retrieve data from the database

  • Value Field: The field/fields from the SQL query that will be shown when querying the value of the control

  • Auto Complete Mode: It will attempt to auto complete the selected entry. It requires Allow Typing to be enabled.
    • None – No auto complete
    • Suggest – Selects only from the items provided
    • Append – Allows you to add your own items
    • Suggest Append – Combines Suggest and Append options
  • Ignored keys: Enter a comma separated string of characters representing keys to be ignored. Allow Typing property must be enabled.
  • Drop down size: The number of items that will be shown in the control' drop-down list before scrolling will be available
  • Max drop down items: The number of items to be shown before the scrollbar is shown
  • Maximum Length: If Allow Typing is enabled this can be used to limit the number of characters that can be typed
  • Allow Mouse Scroll (checkbox): When enabled it allows you to scroll through the list via the mouse button
  • Allow Typing (checkbox): When enabled it allows typing custom values into the control

  • Show item panel (checkbox): When enabled the items of the control are shown in a ready-to-view resizable list (not drop-down) under the Combobox textbox. This will only work if the Allow Typing property is also enabled.

  • Sorted (checkbox): When enabled the list items will be sorted alphabetically