How to: Access Combo Box
Combo boxes, also known as list boxes, are but one of several types of list controls you can use in Access client or Web forms. People refer to Access drop-down lists as combo boxes because the control consists of two parts: a text label and the actual drop-down list. Combo boxes help you conserve space in forms, as Access Does not display selection data in the list until the user clicks the control. Combo boxes also ensure users enter valid data by forcing selection from a list, rather than letting users input incorrect or irrelevant text. Creating a combo box is relatively simple and results in user-friendly forms that enable more efficient data entry.
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Instructions
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Launch Microsoft Access on your computer. Click the "File" tab, then "Open." Browse to an Access database containing a form in which you want to insert a combo box. Highlight the name of the database, then click the "Open" button.
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Click the form you want to edit in the left navigation pane. Click the "Home" tab, then the "View" button. On the drop-down list, select "Design View." Click the "Design" tab on the toolbar.
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Click the combo-box control on the toolbar. Position the mouse cursor where you want to insert the combo-box control on your form, then click the left mouse button. The Access combo-box wizard appears on the screen.
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Click the "I want the combo box to get the values from another table or query" option. Click the "Next" button.
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Click the name of the table you want to use as a data source for the combo box in the list displayed in the wizard window. Click the next button.
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Scroll through the list of available fields from the selected table. Highlight the field you want to use to populate the combo box, then click the ">" button. Click the "Next" button.
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Click the drop-down list in the next window, then select the field name you selected earlier. If you want Access to display the option values in descending order, click "Ascending" button. The button label changes to "Descending." If you want to leave the default ascending display order in place, then leave the button in its default state. Click the "Next" button.
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Enable the "Hide key column (Recommended)" option. Use the mouse to adjust the width of the column if you cannot view all of the text from the table and field that serves as the data source for the combo box. Click the "Finish" button.
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Use the mouse to adjust the width of the combo-box control on the form. Click the top of the combo-box control, then drag it to its final position.
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Click the "Save" icon on the Access ribbon bar. Click the "Home" tab, then "View." Click "Design View" on the drop-down list. Access displays the form and the new combo box. If you click the down-arrow control on the combo box, data from the selected table appears as option values. When using the Access form, users can select option values contained in the field and table specified, rather than typing the value into the form field.
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Tips & Warnings
In addition to using a table as a data source for your combo box, you can also enter your own fixed values. The process for creating a fixed value combo box is almost identical to that of creating one from a table data source. After you click the combo-box control button on the toolbar, click the "I will type in the values I want" option and enter the fixed values. This process is easier to implement and use if you only have a few values you want to use for the combo box. Using a table as the data source for the combo box, though, allows you to update the value options dynamically simply by adding records to the source table.
