ACC: Dropdown Method of Combo Box Not Working in Form Load Event

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

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

When you use the Dropdown method of a combo box in the Load event of a form, the combo box list does not automatically drop down when the form opens.

CAUSE

The form contains a subform that is displayed in Datasheet view.

RESOLUTION

Use one of the following methods to work around this problem.

Method 1

Invoke the Dropdown method of the combo box in the Open event instead of in the Load event.

Method 2

1. Create a subform whose DefaultView property is set to Continuous Forms and whose ViewsAllowed property is set to Both.

2. In Design view of the main form that contains the combo box, set the SourceObject property of the subform control to the form that you created in step 1.

3. Create another form, which will serve as the subform that you want to display on the main form. Set its DefaultView and ViewsAllowed properties to Datasheet.

4. Set the OnLoad property of the form to the following event procedure:

         Private Sub Form_Load()
   

            Me![ctlDropCombo].SetFocus
            Me![ctlDropCombo].Dropdown
            Me![ContinuousSub].SourceObject = "DatasheetSub"
   
         End Sub
   
   

Method 3

Use a subform whose DefaultView property is set to Continuous Forms.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access versions 7.0 and 97. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Note that this behavior does not occur when you open the form in Form view directly from Design view.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Start Microsoft Access and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.

2. Create a new form that is not bound to any table or query.

3. Use the Subform/Subreport Wizard to add Customer Orders Subform 2 to the form.

4. Add a combo box called ctlDropCombo to the form. Set its properties as follows:

         Name: ctlDropCombo
         Row Source Type: Value List
         Row Source: a;b;c
   

5. Set the OnLoad property of the form to the following event procedure:

         Private Sub Form_Load()
   

            Me![ctlDropCombo].SetFocus
            Me![ctlDropCombo].Dropdown
   
         End Sub
   
   

6. Save the form as frmNoDrop and close it.

7. Open the form in Form view from the Database window. Note that the combo box list does not automatically drop down as expected.

REFERENCES

For more information, search the Help Index for "Dropdown method."