Creating A "Search TextBox"

[Tyecom]

I'm trying to create a search textbox that will bring up titles as I type them. For instance, when I start typing D..all titles that begin with "D" will appear in drop down menu. I found a code that I believe does this but I'm getting error messages. The error message I am getting is: "cmbMovies not declared" and "CONN_STRING not declared". I created a DataSource named cmbMovies and it did not solve the problem. Am I looking at this correctly? Here is the code:

Imports System
Imports System.Configuration
Imports System.Data.SqlClient

Public Class Form1

Private Sub txtMovieName_TextChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles txtMovieName.TextChanged

Dim DtMovies As DataTable
Dim Query As String = "SELECT idMovie, movieName From tblMovies "

Try
If (txtMovieName.Text.Trim.Length = 0) Then
MoviesSample.DataSource = Nothing
Return
End If
MovieSample.DataSource = Nothing

For len As Int32 = 0 To txtMovieName.Text.Split(Space(1)).Length
If (len = 0) Then
Query &= "Where movieName Like '%" & txtMovieName.Text.Split(Space(1))(len) & "%'"
Else
If (len = txtMovieName.Text.Split(Space(1)).Length) Then
Exit For
End If
Query &= vbCrLf & " AND " & vbCrLf & "movieName Like '%" & txtMovieName.Text.Split(Space(1))(len) & "%'"
End If
Next

Dim Conn As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection(CONN_STRING)
Conn.Open()
Dim sqlCmd As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand
With sqlCmd
.Connection = Conn
.CommandText = Query
.CommandType = CommandType.Text
End With
Dim sqlDa As SqlDataAdapter = New SqlDataAdapter(sqlCmd)
DtMovies = New DataTable
sqlDa.Fill(DtMovies)
MovieSample.DataSource = Nothing
If (DtMovies IsNot Nothing) Then
With MovieSample
.ValueMember = "idMovie"
.DisplayMember = "movieName"
.DataSource = DtMovies
End With
End If

Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub
End Class

 

[thirteentwenty]

I'm not sure about using a textbox for this, but normally I use a combobox with auto complete.

 

[Tyecom]

What does the auto complete do? And you're right, I am using a ComboBox. Sorry for leaving that out.

 

[thirteentwenty]

If you turn on autocomplete, and select the source as your data source its behavior will be as you discribed

 

[Tyecom]

They have three different types of "Auto Completes":

AutoCompleteCustomSource
AutoCompleteMode
AutoCompleteSource

Which one do you recommend?

 

[thirteentwenty]

Those are not "different types" of autocomplete, those are different options...

In the app that I'm currently working on it is as follows

AutoCompleteCustomSource : (Collection)
AutoCompleteMode : SuggestAppend
AutoCompleteSource : ListItems

Depending on how you filled your data would depend on your options...

 

[Tyecom]

Thanks ThirteenTwenty, I really appreciate your assistance. I'll try it and let you know. I don't know if I'm trying to over complicate this or what.

 

[MattP]

Try looking here: How Do I: Use Auto-Complete?

 

[thirteentwenty]

I wish I could find cool links like that

 

[Tyecom]

Thank MattP...the link you provided was very helpful. Really appreciate both of guys help!