asked on

I want a ComboBox like SELECT in HTML

This should be easy, but I haven't got time to find the right/best way of doing it.

I have a dropdown (TComboBox or TComboBoxEx) that i want to populate with data (key/value pairs), but rather than having it return the text the user selects I want to return the key associated with it. (This is just like a <SELECT> with <OPTION VALUE=1>Text etc. works in HTML).

What's the best approach? TComboBoxEx using the Data pointer? If so, how?

Please give an example.

Cheers,
Marius

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Eddie Shipman

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SOLUTION

kretzschmar

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kretzschmar

too late :-(

BarCode99

ASKER

OK, but the ID is not sequential. Say I have a list like this:

5=Company A
125=Company B
45=Company C
4500=Company D
etc...

Can I associate the ID with the text somehow?

Marius

kretzschmar

>Can I associate the ID with the text somehow?
nope

but you could use the name/value methods of the TStrings

sample follows

meikl ;-)

BarCode99

ASKER

So what is the Data pointer for in a TComboBoxEx item?

Marius

kretzschmar

well, a simple sample

unit Unit1;

interface

uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
Dialogs, StdCtrls;

type
TForm1 = class(TForm)
ListBox1: TListBox;
ComboBox1: TComboBox;
Edit1: TEdit;
Button1: TButton;
procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
procedure ComboBox1Change(Sender: TObject);
private
{ Private declarations }
public
{ Public declarations }
end;

var
Form1: TForm1;

implementation

{$R *.dfm}

//populate Combo - listbox1 holds the data
procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var i : Integer;
begin
combobox1.Items.clear;
for i := 0 to Listbox1.Items.Count - 1 do
combobox1.Items.Add(ListBox1.Items.ValueFromIndex[i]);
end;

//display the result in edit1
procedure TForm1.ComboBox1Change(Sender: TObject);
begin
edit1.Text := ListBox1.Items.Names[ComboBox1.ItemIndex];

end;

end.

meikl ;-)

Eddie Shipman

Now, if you'd pointed that out to us in the beginning when you asked the question....

BarCode99

ASKER

EddieShipman,
Well, I hoped giving the hint that it should work like the HTML SELECT would help (Yes I know this is not the HTML topic area.) I'll try to be more precise the next time....

kretzschmar,
Do you not think just holding an array of integers containing the associated ID would be easier? Like this

i: integer;
aIDs : array of integer;
i := 0;
while not eof then
combobox1.Items.Add(value);
aIDs[i] := key;
Inc(i);
Next;
end

Marius

kretzschmar

>Do you not think just holding an array of integers containing the
>associated ID would be easier?

i don't know how you have your data,
if this will be easier for you,
then just do this

meikl ;-)

BarCode99

ASKER

Spilt the point as Eddie was first, but kretzschmar help more...

Hope you don't mind.

Marius

kretzschmar

is ok ;-)