Autocomplete source from SQL

What if you created a user control that inherited the existing textbox control and you added another member to it. Below, you could data-bind the ValueMember field to your ID column.

public partial class WebUserControl1 : System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox
{
    public object ValueMember { get; set; }
}

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Hmm - I'm developing a winform app, not a web app. Not sure if that matters.
And I'm not really sure how to go about that either, but it sounds promising - can you explain further?

Sorry, I thought I read "SqlDataSource" and assumed this was a web project :\

In any event, the same can be accomplished in Forms app. An easier approach, though, would be to use a ComboBox. It has a ValueMember and DataMember already. Are you opposed to using a ComboBox?

combo box doesn't really work for what I'm doing.
However, the autocomplete is held in a sql (express) table...

I'm not sure how your implementing you lookup and populating, but for starters, you can again make a custom textbox and add a value member property. When you set your text, you can also set the value member.

Public Class AutoCompleteTextBox
    Inherits TextBox
 
    Private vMember As Object
 
    Public Property ValueMember()
        Get
            Return Me.vMember
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value)
            Me.vMember = value
        End Set
    End Property
 
End Class

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I swear i'm not drunk... I have the most difficult time typing on here :\

The previous should say:


I'm not sure how you're implementing your lookup and populating the text, but for starters, you can again make a custom textbox and add a value member property. When you set your text, you can also set the value member.

I understood what you meant - no indication that you're drunk.. ;^)
Okay, so I'm back at this - and think I understand what you're stating, but for clarification:
1) Can this be in my module or does it have to be in my form code (presumably it doesn't really matter since it's its own class)
2) Presumably I would have to programmatically add this new control to the form, as opposed to drawing a standard text box where I need it?

*Points increased to 500.

My source for the autocomplete would come from a simply sql query (Select FoodDesc From tblFood).
But I need to allow the user to enter other text as well.  Just trying to make it easier, so that if it's a frequently entered food item, it would auto populate the numeric values for the nutrition info (calories, fat, carbs, etc).

So if I type in

Salmon fillet, it would start completing with the S, then a, etc. and once the user tabbed out of the field, it would then auto-populate those values (I know how to accomplish this - just stating it for clarity on what I'm trying to accomplish).

Why dont you use the AJAX AutoComplete extender

http://www.asp.net/AJAX/AjaxControlToolkit/Samples/AutoComplete/AutoComplete.aspx

Here is the ID part

http://blogs.msdn.com/phaniraj/archive/2007/06/19/how-to-use-a-key-value-pair-in-your-autocompleteextender.aspx

Not using AJAX (thought that was more for web apps?).
This is just a simple win form app...

SirBounty,
You could use the Tag property of the textbox for the exact same purpose as you would do the valuemember of the extended control. The Tag property is of type Object and can hold any value.

Why not just use a ComboBox and be done with it?

Jake

Here's the scenario:
This is a daily food journal.

I have a textbox for the purpose of entering the food descriptiong (1 Cup Milk, 1 Banana, Salmon Filet, etc).
I then have a search feature that grabs certain related items to that entered from a web site, to populate a combo box with matching options that would determine how many calories, etc are in that item.

I'd like that after some consistent entries are entered (into tblFood), that as the app is opened and I begin typing "1 Cup Coffee", it would auto-complete allowing me to simply select it and it auto populate my calories, carbs, etc (from a quick sql query).

So perhaps what I'm attempting is not possible, in this manner?
I know tag is a great option for a single entry (FoodId = 12 for 1 Cup Coffee), but for populating the autocomplete source with
1  1 Egg
2  Raisin Bran
3  1 Cup OJ
4  Pop Tart
5  Oatmeal

etc - how would autocomplete update the property tag if I selected a pop tart?

I probably could do a combo box though.  Admittedly I haven't thought too far down that train of thought...

How would autocomplete update the ValueMember of a custom textbox for that matter? Combobox is a better solution.

Hmm - good point.
I'm not sure how detailed I really want to get, as I only plan to use this for about a year. But I may share it with one or two other friends.
Perhaps I'll add the counter (numeric up/down should work), but forego the unit of measure (not sure how to track that).
Essentially I want to display both a daily and weekly summary of target ranges (i.e my 'goal' is set to intake no more than 1800 calories...how am I doing for today vs. how am I doing for the week/month).

I'm working on putting the combo solution together.  I'll post back if I get stuck...

Well, this may be reliant on https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/24385140/Getting-autocomplete-working.html
For some reason, I can't see 'any' of the auto complete entries, even though I know they're there and I can step through and see them being added to the collection...

What mode are you using for the auto-complete?  How are you adding/binding the auto-complete to the data?

I have a function that when passed the sql string returns the collection, then I set the control's autocompletecustom source to that collection...

Do you have something like this?

Public Class Form1
 
    Private m_source As New CustomSource()
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
 
        cb.AutoCompleteMode = AutoCompleteMode.Append
        cb.AutoCompleteSource = AutoCompleteSource.CustomSource
 
        m_source.AddEntry("Bob", 1)
        m_source.AddEntry("Neil", 2)
        m_source.AddEntry("Eric", 3)
 
        cb.AutoCompleteCustomSource = m_source.GetStringList()
 
    End Sub
 
    Public Class CustomSource
 
        Private m_collection As AutoCompleteStringCollection = Nothing
        Private m_list As Dictionary(Of String, SourceEntry) = Nothing
 
        Public Sub New()
            m_collection = New AutoCompleteStringCollection()
            m_list = New Dictionary(Of String, SourceEntry)
        End Sub
 
        Public Sub AddEntry(ByVal name As String, ByVal id As Integer)
            m_collection.Add(name)
            m_list.Add(name.ToLower(), New SourceEntry(name, id))
        End Sub
 
        Public Function FindEntry(ByVal name As String) As SourceEntry
            If Not m_list.ContainsKey(name.ToLower()) Then
                Throw New ArgumentException("Invalid entry key")
            End If
            Return m_list(name)
        End Function
 
        Public Function GetStringList() As AutoCompleteStringCollection
            Return m_collection
        End Function
 
        Public Class SourceEntry
            Public Name As String
            Public ID As Integer
            Public Sub New(ByVal newName As String, ByVal newID As Integer)
                Name = newName
                ID = newID
            End Sub
 
        End Class
    End Class
 
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim entry As CustomSource.SourceEntry = m_source.FindEntry(cb.Text)
 
        MessageBox.Show("Entry=" & entry.Name & ", id=" & entry.ID)
    End Sub
End Class

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I'll try it - though I've used similar code (to what I have posted in that other thread) with success in the past...

So, you're using a button to 'find' the entry?  In another app, I was simply typing and it was completing the text for me - isn't this how it's designed to work (or have I misread the code above?).

When you say, "not showing up", are you saying that it is not responding to typing in the ComboBox?

Correct (this was 'first' a textbox).
When I type in the combo, I get no suggestions at all...

I was trying to show how you could auto-complete with text (Name), and match that up against value (ID).

Ah - light bulb is fizzling on... ;^)

Um, I neglected to set the autocompletesource... :$
Perhaps you should point that out in the other question, so that one is resolved (autocomplete is working now - thank you).

So, to resolve this - it looks like I need to build a custom class dependent on a dictionary so that I can search it in a given event (probably _Leave).
Question - as far as timing is concerned, is it just as convenient to simply query the database again, instead of a dictionary object?  The db will be a local user instance...

Local-only SQL Server Express User instance, so I don't think it'd be a problem.