Archive Collection: Combo Boxes

I've been writing a daily article here since September 1, 2020; that's over 1,200 articles.  I haven't missed a day yet, and that includes Christmas and Easter. I'm currently on a family vacation, which makes maintaining this streak a bit...tricky.

I'm writing this in the present tense, but I'm writing it for future publication with links to past articles.  Let's hope the time-space continuum holds up.

In any case, as the slacker Firstie says to the Stony Lonesome Gate guard twenty minutes before Taps, let me get to the Point.  I've got a daily publishing streak to keep up.  But I don't want to be writing and publishing articles on vacation.  And I still want to provide you with something of value to read each day.  So I settled on creating a series of curated article lists that I think you'll find beneficial.

I'm hoping at least some of these articles are ones you haven't read before.  And if you're so obsessed with me that you have read all my articles, I'm hoping that they'll keep you busy enough that you don't come looking for me and my family 😳.  

Enjoy!


Combo Boxes

Combo Box: Behavior Deep Dive
Join me as I take you on an animated gif guided tour of the default behavior of the Microsoft Access combo box, with emphasis on the autocomplete feature.
Combo Boxes and Target Sizes
Just like in darts, it’s easier to hit a larger target when using the mouse. With this in mind, let’s make our combo boxes more user-friendly.
A Wonderful, Magical Class Module
Imagine a single class module you can use for progressive combo box filtering, lazy loading combo boxes, AND multi-column filtering!
A Lazy-Loading Combo Box In Only 3 Lines of Code
Combo boxes that pull down too many records can slow down your Access forms. Boost performance with my class module and 3 lines of code.
ComboBox .Undropdown Method
Combo boxes have a .Dropdown method. But what if you want the opposite: a .CloseDropdown method? This tip from Adam Waller has the answer.
How to Add a Catch-all Value to a Combo Box in Access
Two ways to let your users choose “All of the above” when using your combo boxes.
Dealing with Inactive Items in a Combo Box Row Source
There are many ways to deal with inactive RowSource items in combo boxes. Here’s a no-code technique that I find myself coming back to time and again.
ComboBox NotInList Event: Revisited
We improve our NotInList event code with a workaround for the “text you entered isn’t an item in the list” error message via the little-known Form Error event handler.

Additional Reading

Combo Boxes - No Longer Set
A series of articles covering the ins and outs of my favorite Microsoft Access control: the Combo Box.