Combo box behavior properties to use first char typed

How to get the combo box in VS so that first char typed looks for a match in my list and selects it into the combo box text area. From there if there was a match for what I call the predictive typing done in the combo box, then I should be able to press the enter key and move on to other things. In ACCESS and VBA this is so easy and handled with a couple of properties.... does this require code to be done in Visual Studio?

Thanks.

if you are talking abt WPF conbox box control then here is a solution for you.

you need to write behavious for your combox box control and attach to it.

public static class EditableComboBoxBehavior
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty AcceptsEnterKeyProperty =
DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("AcceptsEnterKey", typeof(bool), typeof(EditableComboBoxBehavior), new PropertyMetadata(default(bool), OnEnterKeyPress));
public static void SetAcceptsEnterKey(DependencyObject element, bool value)
{
element.SetValue(AcceptsEnterKeyProperty, value);
}
public static bool GetAcceptsEnterKey(DependencyObject element)
{
return (bool)element.GetValue(AcceptsEnterKeyProperty);
}
private static void OnEnterKeyPress(DependencyObject dependencyObject, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs eventArgs)
{
var element = (UIElement)dependencyObject;
if ((bool)eventArgs.NewValue)
{
element.PreviewKeyDown += PreviewKeyDown;
element.KeyUp += KeyDown;
}
else
{
element.PreviewKeyDown -= PreviewKeyDown;
element.KeyUp -= KeyDown;
}
}
// implemented KeyDown and PreviewKeyDown methods to set the focus of the elemtn in combox box and set the selection etc etc.
}

and then use in your combox like below

"True" ItemsSource="{Binding Items}"
SelectedValue="{Binding Item}"
Text="{Binding Item, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=LostFocus}"
StaysOpenOnEdit="False" IsTextSearchCaseSensitive="False"
EditableComboBoxBehavior.AcceptsEnterKey="True"
ShouldPreserveUserEnteredPrefix="True">

2 Replies

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A Whiston6y ago
Thank you for your reply. I will use this for future WPF apps. My current project is a Windows Form application. Does this change the code you offered? I appologize I should have specified my problem as a Windows Form app.

Thank you for your time.
Ashutosh Gupta6y ago
if you are talking abt WPF conbox box control then here is a solution for you.

you need to write behavious for your combox box control and attach to it.
public static class EditableComboBoxBehavior
{
public static readonly DependencyProperty AcceptsEnterKeyProperty =
DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached("AcceptsEnterKey", typeof(bool), typeof(EditableComboBoxBehavior), new PropertyMetadata(default(bool), OnEnterKeyPress));

public static void SetAcceptsEnterKey(DependencyObject element, bool value)
{
element.SetValue(AcceptsEnterKeyProperty, value);
}
public static bool GetAcceptsEnterKey(DependencyObject element)
{
return (bool)element.GetValue(AcceptsEnterKeyProperty);
}
private static void OnEnterKeyPress(DependencyObject dependencyObject, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs eventArgs)
{
var element = (UIElement)dependencyObject;
if ((bool)eventArgs.NewValue)
{
element.PreviewKeyDown += PreviewKeyDown;
element.KeyUp += KeyDown;
}
else
{
element.PreviewKeyDown -= PreviewKeyDown;
element.KeyUp -= KeyDown;
}
}
// implemented KeyDown and PreviewKeyDown methods to set the focus of the elemtn in combox box and set the selection etc etc.
}
and then use in your combox like below

"True" ItemsSource="{Binding Items}"
SelectedValue="{Binding Item}"
Text="{Binding Item, Mode=TwoWay, UpdateSourceTrigger=LostFocus}"
StaysOpenOnEdit="False" IsTextSearchCaseSensitive="False"
EditableComboBoxBehavior.AcceptsEnterKey="True"
ShouldPreserveUserEnteredPrefix="True">