Q139214: How to Store Numeric Values that Come from a Combo Box

Article: Q139214
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 11-FEB-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

When the ControlSource property of a combo box or list box evaluates to a
numeric variable and the list box displays numeric data, the ControlSource
stores the index number (position) in the list, not the data that is displayed.
This article shows by example how to store the numeric value listed in a combo
box in a numeric variable.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The RowSource property of a combo box or list box specifies the source of the
values; that is, it indicates where the data is coming from.

The ControlSource property of a combo box specifies the data that is modified
when a selection is made. It indicates where the data is going to.

When a combo box is bound to a character variable, the expression displayed in
the list is stored to the ControlSource. When the object is bound to a numeric
variable, the index order of the expression is stored to the ControlSource. For
example, say the list displays the following elements:

  ------
  | 10 |
  | 20 |
  | 30 |
  | 40 |
  ------

If the number 30 is selected when the data is bound to a numeric variable, the
variable stored in the ControlSource property will evaluate to 3, because 30 is
the third element in the list. If the data originates from a table, this index
can correspond to a record number.

When a combo box or a list box is not bound to any data, ControlSource is empty.
The Value property stores the character string that is currently selected. Using
the previous example, the Value property is equal to 30 if the list box is not
bound to data.

The Visual FoxPro Help file indicates that once the ControlSource property is set
to a field or variable, the Value property always has the same data value and
the same data type as the variable or field to which the ControlSource property
is set.

To store the numeric selection of a combo box to a numeric variable, you can
assign the value of the combo box to the variable in the Interactive Change
event handler. This assumes that the object is not bound to data. The following
step-by-step example illustrates this procedure.

Step-by-Step Example
--------------------

1. Create a new form.

2. Right-click the form, and then click Data Environment.

3. In the Data Environment, open the Orders table located in the Samples\Data
  directory.

4. Select the form, and place a combo box on the form.

5. Change the following properties for the combo box:

     RowSourceType: 2-Alias
     RowSource    : Orders.order_amt  && Numeric field

     Do not assign a ControlSource to the combo box.

6. Create a new property for the form, and name it nSelectData.

7. In the InteractiveChange event handler for Combo1, type:

     THISFORM.nSelectData=VAL(THIS.Value)

8. Save and run the form. To verify the value of the nSelectData variable, open
  the Debug window and type <Form>.nSelectData, where <Form> is the
  name of the form.

Additional query words: combobox listbox

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0

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