Populate Combos from DB and leave empty item

Try something like this:

    Private Sub FillList()
        mylist.DataSource = UserDT
        mylist.DataTextField = "Name"
        mylist.DataValueField = "ID"
        mylist.DataBind()
        mylist.Items.Insert(0, "--- Select a name ---")      
        mylist.SelectedIndex() = 0
    End Sub

hth
Dave

Does

     cboUser.SelectedIndex = -1

not produce the effect you want?

Roger

Roger

Thanks did not work

Thanks anyway

Dave

Did not work

thanks anyway

What error or manifestation are you seeing?  Are you sure the data table is populated?

The combo box is being populated with the data, however, it always shows the first record.  I would like that to be either blank or some text such as [Select a User]

Just to clarify, I recieve no errors with my code and all combos are populated.  I use the following to poplulate all the combos on a form:

Public Sub FillCombos()

        Dim conn As New OleDbConnection("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OleDb.4.0;Data Source=" & Application.StartupPath & "\ITAssets.mdb")

        Dim UserAdapter As New OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT Name FROM tblUsers", conn)
        Dim DeptAdapter As New OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT Department FROM tblDepartment", conn)
        Dim EFCTAGAdapter As New OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT EFCTAG FROM tblEFCTags", conn)
        Dim ModelAdapter As New OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT Model FROM tblModel", conn)


        Dim UserDT As New DataTable("tblUsers")
        Dim DepartmentDT As New DataTable("tblDepartment")
        Dim EFCTagDT As New DataTable("tblEFCTags")
        Dim ModelDT As New DataTable("tblModel")


        Call UserAdapter.Fill(UserDT)   'Execute SQL above and fill data table with records.
        Call DeptAdapter.Fill(DepartmentDT)
        Call EFCTAGAdapter.Fill(EFCTagDT)
        Call ModelAdapter.Fill(ModelDT)


        'Populate Combo Boxes

        cboUser.DataSource = UserDT
        cboUser.DisplayMember = ("Name")
        cboDepartment.DataSource = DepartmentDT
        cboDepartment.DisplayMember = ("Department")
        cboEFCRef.DataSource = EFCTagDT
        cboEFCRef.DisplayMember = ("EFCTAG")
        cboModel.DataSource = ModelDT
        cboModel.DisplayMember = ("Model")

        'Types
        With cboType
            .Items.Add("Laptop")
            .Items.Add("Desktop")
            .Items.Add("Printer")
            .Items.Add("Server")
            .Items.Add("Switch")
            .Items.Add("Hub")

        End With

        'Manufacturer
        With cboManufacturer
            .Items.Add("HP")
            .Items.Add("Dell")
            .Items.Add("Cisco")
            .Items.Add("IBM")
            .Items.Add("AMD")
            .Items.Add("CMS")
            .Items.Add("ZooStorm")

        End With

        'Supplier
        With cboSupplier
            .Items.Add("Supplier A")
            .Items.Add("Supplier B")

        End With

Thanks Roger, you have confirmed to me that there is no staight forward solution.

As a solution I have already created a record in the DB user table called -- Select a User -- and included this code as part of the validation when clicking a save button to prevent a user saving that record :

ElseIf cboUser.Text = "" Or cboUser.Text = "-- Select a User --" Then
            MessageBox.Show("Please enter a User.", "Information", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)
            cboUser.Focus()

Thanks

Yes, here is an extension of what Roger is talking about that I should have given you. What you do is disable the Submit button or the NextList until myList.SelectedIndex <> 0

    Private Sub mylist_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles mylist.SelectedIndexChanged

        If mylist.SelectedIndex = 0 Then
            Submit1.Disabled = True
            nextList.Enabled = False
        Else
            Submit1.Disabled = False
            nextList.Enabled = True
        End If
    End Sub

Dave