How to move to a specific record from a Combo Box selection in Microsoft Access

• In the AfterUpdate event of a combo box, execute code that uses the FindFirst method.
• In the AfterUpdate event of a combo box, call a macro that requeries the Filter property of a form.
• Use a Form/Subform, with a combo box on the main form, and the data in the subform, bound by the LinkMasterFields and LinkChildFields properties of the subform control.
• Base the form on a query that joins two tables, and then use the AutoLookup technique to bind a combo box to the field that controls the join.

   Method Number:                  1   2   3   4
   ---------------------------------------------
   Requires no code/macros                 x   x
   Saves on subforms               x   x       x
   Can scroll to other records     x       x   x
   Does not require a query        x   x   x
   Can edit records                x   x   x
				

Method 1

1. Use the AutoForm: Columnar Wizard to create a new form that is based on the Products table, and then save the form as frmComboTest.
   
   To do this in Microsoft Office Access 2003 and earlier versions of Access, follow these steps:
   1. In the Database window, click Forms under Objects.
   2. Click New on the Database window toolbar.
   3. In the New Form dialog box, click AutoForm: Columnar, select Products in the drop-down list, and then click OK.
   4. Save the form as frmComboTest.
   To do this in Microsoft Office Access 2007, follow these steps:
   1. On the Create tab, click More Forms in the Forms group, and then click Form Wizard.
   2. In the New Form dialog box, click Form Wizard, select the Products in the drop-down list, and then click OK.
   3. In the Form Wizard dialog box, select the fields that you want to see in the new form, select the Columnar option to set the layout of the form, and then click Finish.
   4. Save the form as frmComboTest.
2. Use the Combo Box Wizard to add an unbound combo box. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Open the frmComboTest form in the Design view.
   2. In the toolbar, make sure that Control Wizards is selected.
      
      Note In Access 2007, make sure that Control Wizards is selected in the Controls group on the Design tab.
   3. In the toolbar, click Combo Box, and then click on the frmComboTest form.
      
      Note In Access 2007, click Combo Box in the Controls group on the Design tab, and then click the frmComboTest form. In the Choose Builder dialog box, click Combo Box Wizard, and then click OK.
   4. In the Combo Box Wizard dialog box, select the Find a record on my form based on the value I selected in my combo box option, and then click Next.
   5. Include the ProductID and ProductName fields, and then click Next.
   6. Click Finish.
   The Combo Box Wizard creates an event procedure similar to the following:

   Private Sub Combo0_AfterUpdate()
       ' Find the record that matches the control.
       Dim rs As Object
   
       Set rs = Me.Recordset.Clone
       rs.FindFirst "[ProductID] = " & Str(Nz(Me![Combo20], 0))
       If Not rs.EOF Then Me.Bookmark = rs.Bookmark
   End Sub
   					

3. View the frmComboTest form in Form view.
   
   Notice that when you choose a product name in the combo box, you are moved to the record for the product that you selected.

Method 2

1. Use the AutoForm: Columnar Wizard to create a new form that is based on the Products table, and save the form as frmComboTest2.
   
   Note See the steps that are mentioned in the step 1 of Method 1.
2. In the property sheet for the frmComboTest2 form, set the Filter property on the Data tab as follows:
   [ProductName] = Forms![frmComboTest2]![cboLookup]
3. Add an unbound combo box named cboLookup, and then set the properties of the control as follows:

      Combo Box
      -----------------------------------------------------
      ControlName: cboLookup
      ControlSource: <leave blank>
      RowSourceType: Table/Query
      RowSource: Select [ProductName] from Products;
      BoundColumn: 1
      ColumnWidths: 1"
      AfterUpdate: mcrLocateProduct
   					

4. Create the following macro named mcrLocateProduct:

      Action
      --------------------------------------
      SetValue
      Requery
   
      mcrLocateProduct Actions
      --------------------------------------
      SetValue
      Item: Forms![frmComboTest2].FilterOn
      Expression: True
   						

   Notice that when you open the frmComboTest2 form and select a product name from the cboLookup combo box, the filter is set to that value.

Method 3

1. Create a new form that is not based on any table or query and save it as frmMain. Then add a combo box and set its properties as follows:

      Combo Box
      ----------------------------
      ControlName: cboLookup
      ControlSource: <leave blank>
      RowSourceType: Table/Query
      RowSource: Products
      ColumnCount: 4
      ColumnWidths: 0";2"
      BoundColumn: 1
   					

2. Use the AutoForm: Tabular Wizard to create a second form that is based on the Products table, set the DefaultView property of the form to Single Form, and then save the form as frmSub.
3. Use the frmSub form to create a subform control on the frmMain form.
4. Set the subform control properties as follows:

      Subform
      ----------------------------
      LinkChildFields: [ProductID]
      LinkMasterFields: cboLookup
   					

   By changing the value in cboLookup control, Access ensures that the records in the subform match the combo box.
   
   The Orders form in the Northwind sample database illustrates this method. The Order Details subform is related by the LinkMasterFields and LinkChildFields properties.

Method 4

1. Create a table named tblProductSelect that has a single field, ProductID. Set the Data Type property of the field to Number and set the Field Size property to Long Integer.
   
   Note A primary key is not necessary. Do not add records to this table.
2. Create the following query named qryProductSelect that is based on a join between the ProductID fields of the tblProductSelect and Products tables. Include the following attributes in the query:

      Query: qryProductSelect
      -----------------------------------------------
      Field: ProductID
      Table Name: tblProductSelect
   
      Field: <any other fields you are interested in>
      TableName: Products
   					

3. Use the AutoForm: Columnar Wizard to create a form that is based on the qryProductSelect query, and then view the form in Form view.
4. Right-click the text box control for the ProductID field, point to Change To, click Combo Box, and then make the following property assignments for this combo box:

      Combo Box
      --------------------------
      ControlName: ProductID
      ControlSource: ProductID
      RowSourceType: Table/Query
      RowSource: Products
      ColumnCount: 1
      ColumnWidths: 2"
      BoundColumn: 1
   					

5. Save the form as frmComboTest3, and then run the form.