AutoComplete TextBox Control

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I want to have a textbox control that suggests and append values from a database in a Windows application with C# 2008 and LINQ.

I do it with a combobox but I can't do it with a textbox.

How do I do it?

9 Answers

There are two ways to accomplish this textbox effect:

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Either using the graphic user interface (GUI); or with code

Using the Graphic User Interface:
Go to: "Properties" Tab; then set the following properties:

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However; the best way is to create this by code. See example below.

AutoCompleteStringCollection sourceName = new AutoCompleteStringCollection();

foreach (string name in listNames)
{    
    sourceName.Add(name);
}

txtName.AutoCompleteCustomSource = sourceName;
txtName.AutoCompleteMode = AutoCompleteMode.Suggest;
txtName.AutoCompleteSource = AutoCompleteSource.CustomSource;
    private void TurnOnAutocomplete()
    {
        textBox.AutoCompleteMode = AutoCompleteMode.SuggestAppend;
        textBox.AutoCompleteSource = AutoCompleteSource.CustomSource;
        AutoCompleteStringCollection collection = new AutoCompleteStringCollection();
        string[] arrayOfWowrds = new string[];

        try
        {
            //Read in data Autocomplete list to a string[]
            string[] arrayOfWowrds = new string[];
        }
        catch (Exception err)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(err.Message, "File Missing", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
        }

        collection.AddRange(arrayOFWords);
        textBox.AutoCompleteCustomSource = collection;
    }

You only need to call this once after you have your data needed for the autocomplete list. Once bound it stays with the textBox. You do not need to or want to call it every time the text is changed in the textBox, that will kill your program.

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