TextBox.AutoCompleteCustomSource Property

Definition

Namespace:

System.Windows.Forms

Assembly:

System.Windows.Forms.dll

Source:

TextBox.cs

Gets or sets a custom StringCollection to use when the AutoCompleteSource property is set to CustomSource.

C#

[System.ComponentModel.Browsable(true)]
public System.Windows.Forms.AutoCompleteStringCollection AutoCompleteCustomSource { get; set; }

Property Value

AutoCompleteStringCollection

A StringCollection to use with AutoCompleteSource.

Attributes

BrowsableAttribute

Examples

The following code example demonstrates how to use a collection as the auto-complete custom source for a TextBox control. This example does the following:

• Uses the AutoCompleteSource property to enable the TextBox control to accept a custom source for its auto-complete behavior.

• Uses the AutoCompleteCustomSource property to set the custom list of values.

• Uses the AutoCompleteMode property to set how the auto-complete candidates are displayed.

C#

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    // Create the list to use as the custom source. 
    var source = new AutoCompleteStringCollection();
    source.AddRange(new string[]
                    {
                        "January",
                        "February",
                        "March",
                        "April",
                        "May",
                        "June",
                        "July",
                        "August",
                        "September",
                        "October",
                        "November",
                        "December"
                    });

    // Create and initialize the text box.
    var textBox = new TextBox
                  {
                      AutoCompleteCustomSource = source,
                      AutoCompleteMode = 
                          AutoCompleteMode.SuggestAppend,
                      AutoCompleteSource =
                          AutoCompleteSource.CustomSource,
                      Location = new Point(20, 20),
                      Width = ClientRectangle.Width - 40,
                      Visible = true
                  };

    // Add the text box to the form.
    Controls.Add(textBox);
}

Remarks

Use the AutoCompleteCustomSource, AutoCompleteMode, and AutoCompleteSource properties to create a TextBox that automatically completes input strings by comparing the prefix being entered to the prefixes of all strings in a maintained source. This is useful for TextBox controls in which URLs, addresses, file names, or commands will be frequently entered.

The use of the AutoCompleteCustomSource property is optional, but you must set the AutoCompleteSource property to CustomSource in order to use AutoCompleteCustomSource.

You must use the AutoCompleteMode and AutoCompleteSource properties together.

Note

The operating system might limit the number of custom strings that it can display at once.

Applies to

See also

• AutoCompleteSource
• AutoCompleteMode