ACC2002: Combo Box or List Box Recordset Is Lost When You Switch Form Views

In Microsoft Access, after you set the Recordset property of a list box or combo box, the list is empty after you change between form views (such as Datasheet view, PivotTable view, or PivotChart view).

This behavior occurs because Access resets the control's Recordset property when you switch between different views of the form.

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Set the RowSource Property of the Control

Instead of setting the control's Recordset property, set its RowSource property in Design view of the form instead. The RowSource property allows you to use a table name, query name, or SQL statement to fill the list portion of the control. You can set the RowSource property of the control in Design view without having to write Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code.

Method 2: Use VBA Code to Fill the List

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. It is possible to use the AddItem method to programmatically add items to the list portion of a combo box or list box control in an Access form. This technique allows you to open a recordset and enumerate through it to add values to the combo box or list box. To use the AddItem method to fill the control, follow these steps:

CAUTION: If you follow the steps in this example, you modify the sample database Northwind.mdb. You may want to back up the Northwind.mdb file and follow these steps on a copy of the database.

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb or the sample project NorthwindCS.adp.
2. Open the Products form in Design view.
3. On the View menu, click Properties to display the property sheet.
4. Select the CategoryID combo box and view its properties.
5. Clear the CategoryID combo box's RowSource property.
6. Set the CategoryID combo box's RowSourceType property to Value List.
7. On the View menu, click Code to view the form's module.
8. On the Tools menu, click References.
9. Verify that the Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 2.5 (or higher) library is selected, and then click OK to close the References dialog box.
10. Add the following code to the form's module:

    Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
       Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset
       Dim strSQL As String
    
       strSQL = "SELECT CategoryID, CategoryName FROM Categories " & _
                "ORDER BY CategoryName"
       
       Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset
       With rs
          .ActiveConnection = CurrentProject.AccessConnection
          .Source = strSQL
          .LockType = adLockOptimistic
          .CursorType = adOpenKeyset
          .Open
          Do Until .EOF
             Me.CategoryID.AddItem .Fields("CategoryID").Value & _
                ";" & .Fields("CategoryName").Value
             .MoveNext
          Loop
       End With
    End Sub
    					

11. On the File menu, click Close and Return to Microsoft Access.
12. On the File menu, click Save.
13. Close the form.
14. Open the Products form in Form view.
15. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the CategoryID combo box.
    
    Note that the list is filled with items from the Categories table.
16. On the View menu, click Datasheet View.
17. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the CategoryID column.

Note that the list still contains items from the Categories table as expected.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Steps To Reproduce the Problem

CAUTION: If you follow the steps in this example, you modify the sample database Northwind.mdb. You may want to back up the Northwind.mdb file and follow these steps on a copy of the database.

1. Start Access and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. Open the Products form in Design view.
3. On the View menu, click Properties to display the property sheet.
4. Select the CategoryID combo box and view its properties.
5. Clear the CategoryID combo box's RowSource property.
6. On the View menu, click Code to view the form's module.
7. Add the following code to the form's module:

   Option Compare Database
   Option Explicit
   
   Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
      Dim db As DAO.Database
      Dim rs As DAO.Recordset
      Dim strSQL As String
   
      strSQL = "SELECT CategoryID, CategoryName FROM Categories " & _
               "ORDER BY CategoryName"
      Set db = CurrentDb
      Set rs = db.OpenRecordset(strSQL)
      Set Me.CategoryID.Recordset = rs
   End Sub
   					

8. On the File menu, click Close and Return to Microsoft Access.
9. On the File menu, click Save.
10. On the View menu, click Form View.
11. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the CategoryID combo box.
    
    Note that the list is filled with items from the Categories table, indicating that the control is bound to a recordset.
12. On the View menu, click Datasheet View.
13. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the CategoryID column.

Note that the list is empty, indicating the control is no longer bound to the recordset.

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: