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ACC: How to Synchronize Two Combo Boxes on a Form

Article ID: 97624 - View products that this article applies to.

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This article was previously published under Q97624

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

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SUMMARY

This article shows you how to synchronize two combo boxes so that when you make a selection in the first combo box, the selection limits the choices in the second combo box.

NOTE: This article explains a technique demonstrated in the sample files, FrmSampl.exe (for Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0) and FrmSmp97.exe (for Microsoft Access 97). For information about how to obtain these sample files, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

150895

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/150895/EN-US/ )

ACC95: Microsoft Access Sample Forms Available in Download Center

175066

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/175066/EN-US/ )

ACC97: Microsoft Access 97 Sample Forms Available in Download Center

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MORE INFORMATION

The following example uses the sample database Northwind.mdb (NWIND.MDB in earlier versions). The first combo box lists the available product categories, and the second combo box lists the available products for the category selected in the first combo box:

Open the sample database Northwind.mdb (or NWIND.MDB in 1.x and 2.0).

Create the following new query based on the Products table, and then save the query as Category Combo Query:

      Query: Category Combo Query
      ---------------------------------------------------------
      Table: Products
      Type: Select Query
      Field: ProductID (or Product ID in 1.x and 2.0)
         Sort: Ascending
         Show: Yes
      Field: ProductName (or Product Name in 1.x and 2.0)
         Table: Products
         Show: Yes
      Field: CategoryID (or Category ID in 1.x and 2.0)
         Show: No
         Criteria: Forms![frmCategoriesProducts]![Categories]

Create a new form not based on any table or query with the following combo boxes, and save the form as frmCategoriesProducts.

      Combo Box 1
      -------------------------------
      Name:          Categories
      RowSourceType: Table/Query
      RowSource:     Categories
      ColumnCount:   2
      ColumnWidths:  0;1
      BoundColumn:   1
      AfterUpdate:  Refresh Products

      <B>NOTE</B>: The Name property is called the ControlName property in
      Microsoft Access 1.x.

      Combo Box 2
      -----------------------------------
      Name:          Products
      RowSourceType: Table/Query
      RowSource:     Category Combo Query
      ColumnCount:   2
      ColumnWidth:   0;1
      BoundColumn:   1

NOTE: The BoundColumn property of the first combo box should not be set to the field named in the Criteria row of the above query; otherwise, the second combo box displays only the first record.

Create the following new macro and save it as Refresh Products:

      Macro Name          Actions
      ---------------------------
      Refresh Products    Requery

      Action Arguments
      ----------------
      Control Name: Products

View the frmCategoriesProducts form in Form view. When you select a category in the first combo box, the second combo box is updated to list only the available products for the selected category.

Notes

In the above example, the second combo box is filled with the results of the Category Combo Query query. This query finds all the products that have a CategoryID that matches the category selected in the first combo box.

Whenever a category is selected in the first combo box, the AfterUpdate property runs the Refresh Products macro, which forces the second combo box to run the Category Combo Query query again. This refreshes the list of available products in the second combo box. Without this macro, you would have to force the second combo box to refresh itself by pressing the F9 key.

Important: If the first combo box is bound, you should also assign the Refresh Products Macro to the On Current event of the form.

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REFERENCES

For more information about synchronizing combo boxes, search for "synchronize," and then "synchronizing combo boxes" using the Microsoft Access Help Index.

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Properties

Article ID: 97624 - Last Review: January 18, 2007 - Revision: 2.1

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Access 1.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 1.1 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 2.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

kbhowto KB97624

Retired KB Content Disclaimer

This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.

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