How to Display multiple columns in WinForms combobox?

Kerry Ou 226

tempsnip

This picture is Access 2010.Data come from SQL. I tried to move to Winform. I know how to bind data sources.

Can WinForms combobox do the same? Show 3 columns and titles, When a row is selected, return only Plan_no.

I am new, maybe I need more detailed examples or code. Thank you so much.

Accepted answer

Castorix31 84,721 Reputation points

2023-03-22T07:46:50.19+00:00

You can see the MS sample : https://github.com/cubika/OneCode/tree/master/Visual%20Studio%202008/CSWinFormMultipleColumnComboBox
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1 person found this answer helpful.
Kerry Ou 226 Reputation points

2023-03-23T00:41:47.91+00:00

Thank you!
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1 additional answer

Karen Payne MVP 35,406

See the following article with code..

dual

Mock-up example

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    DataTable dataTable = new DataTable("Employees");

    dataTable.Columns.Add("EmployeeID", typeof(int));
    dataTable.Columns.Add("Name", typeof(string));
    dataTable.Columns.Add("Designation", typeof(string));

    dataTable.Rows.Add(1, "Natalia", "Developer");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(2, "Jonathan", "Developer");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(3, "Jake", "Developer");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(4, "Abraham", "Developer");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(5, "Mary", "Team Lead");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(6, "Calvin", "Project Manager");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(7, "Sarah", "Team Lead");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(8, "Monica", "Developer");
    dataTable.Rows.Add(9, "Donna", "Developer");

    multiColumnComboBox1.DataSource = dataTable;
    multiColumnComboBox1.DisplayMember = "Name";
    multiColumnComboBox1.ValueMember = "EmployeeID";
}

private void CurrentButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int id = ((DataRowView)multiColumnComboBox1.SelectedItem).Row.Field<int>("EmployeeID");
}

Kerry Ou 226 Reputation points

2023-03-23T00:42:05.23+00:00

Thank you!
Kerry Ou 226 Reputation points

2023-03-23T08:50:33.8933333+00:00

One more question. How to add the column name on it ?
Ronald Rex 1,666 Reputation points

2023-03-24T19:53:42.17+00:00

Hello Karen. What if I wanted to get the data from a Database?
Ronald Rex 1,666 Reputation points

2023-03-24T19:55:35.77+00:00

What if I wanted to get the Data from a Database?

Karen Payne MVP 35,406

In regards to get data from a database, no difference as when using a DataTable we are detached from where the data came from e.g. mocked or from a database. So below, the caller to the Read method has no clue to if the data is mocked or from a database unless they peek at the code.

using System.Data;
using System.Data.OleDb;

namespace WorkingWithAccess.Classes;

public class Operations
{

    public static string ConnectionString = 
        "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=Database1.accdb";

    public static (bool success, DataTable table) Read()
    {
        DataTable categoryTable = new DataTable();
        try
        {
            
            using OleDbConnection cn = new() { ConnectionString = ConnectionString };
            using OleDbCommand cmd = new() { Connection = cn };

            cmd.CommandText = "SELECT Identifier, Category FROM  Category ORDER BY Category";


            cn.Open();

            categoryTable.Load(cmd.ExecuteReader());

            return (true,categoryTable);
        }
        catch 
        {
            return (false, categoryTable);
        }
    }

}

Ike 0 Reputation points

2024-03-19T11:48:32.79+00:00

@Karen Payne

The inherited ComboBox (highligted in yellow) drops and blocks the first item of the dropdown menu. Is that intentional?
Karen Payne MVP 35,406 Reputation points

2024-03-20T13:47:32.9866667+00:00

I can not reproduce blocking the first item.

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How to Display multiple columns in WinForms combobox?

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