DropDownListBox control

A DropDownListBox control combines the features of a ListBox and a SingleLineEdit. In some DropDownListBoxes, the user can select an item by entering the name of the item in the text box. In other DropDownListBoxes, the user cannot modify the text box and must click the item or enter the first character of the item to select it.

Making the list display

In the development environment, if the list portion of the DropDownListBox is not displayed because ShowList is set to FALSE, the user must click the down arrow at the end of the text box to display it.

Properties

DropDownListBox property

Datatype

Description

Accelerator

Integer

The ASCII value of the accelerator key you want to assign as the accelerator for the control.

AccessibleDescription

String

A description of the control and/or its purpose for use by accessibility tools such as readers for visually impaired users.

AccessibleName

String

A label that briefly describes the control, such as the text in a button or the name of a menu item.

AccessibleRole

AccessibleRole (enumerated)

Describes what kind of user interface element the control is.

AllowEdit

Boolean

Specifies whether the user can enter text in the text box portion of the control. Values are:

TRUE -- Can enter text in the text box.

FALSE -- Cannot enter text in the text box.

AllowEdit must be true when ShowList is true.

AutoHScroll

Boolean

Specifies whether the text box portion of the control scrolls horizontally automatically when data is entered or deleted. Values are:

TRUE -- TextBox scrolls horizontally automatically.

FALSE -- TextBox does not scroll horizontally automatically.

BackColor

Long

Specifies the numeric value of the background color: -2 to 16,777,215. For more information about color, see the section called “RGB” in PowerScript Reference.

Border

Boolean

Specifies whether the control has a border. However, setting this property to FALSE has no effect on the DropDownListBox control.

BorderStyle

BorderStyle (enumerated)

Specifies the style of the border of the control. Values are:

StyleBox!

StyleLowered!

StyleRaised!

StyleShadowBox!

BringToTop

Boolean

Specifies whether PowerBuilder will move the control to the top of the front-to-back order in the window. Values are:

TRUE -- Control moved to top.

FALSE -- Control not moved to top.

ClassDefinition

PowerObject

An object of type PowerObject containing information about the class definition of the object or control.

DragAuto

Boolean

Specifies whether PowerBuilder puts the control automatically into Drag mode. Values are:

TRUE -- When the control is clicked, the control is automatically put in Drag mode.

FALSE -- When the control is clicked, the control is not automatically put in Drag mode. You have to put the control into Drag mode manually by using the Drag function.

DragIcon

String

Specifies the name of the stock icon or the file containing the icon you want to display when the user drags the control (the ICO file). The default icon is a box the size of the control.

When the user drags the control, the icon displays when the control is over an area in which the control can be dropped (a valid drop area). When the control is over an area that is not a valid drop area, the No-Drop icon displays.

Enabled

Boolean

Specifies whether the control is enabled (can be selected). Values are:

TRUE -- Control is enabled.

FALSE -- Control is not enabled.

FaceName

String

Specifies the name of the typeface in which the text of the control displays (for example, arial or courier).

FontCharSet

FontCharSet (enumerated)

Specifies the font character set used for the text in the control. The application must be running on an appropriate version of PowerBuilder under an operating system that supports the selected character set. For a complete list of possible values, see the list of properties for the FontCharSet variable on the Enumerated tab page of the Browser.

FontFamily

FontFamily (enumerated)

Specifies the font family (type style) used for the text in the control. Values are:

AnyFont!

Decorative!

Modern!

Roman!

Script!

Swiss!

FontPitch

FontPitch (enumerated)

Specifies the pitch (spacing) of the font used for the text in the control. Values are:

Default!

Fixed!

Variable!

Height

Integer

Specifies the height of the control, in PowerBuilder units.

HScrollBar

Boolean

Specifies whether a horizontal scroll bar is displayed in the control. Values are:

TRUE -- Horizontal scroll bar is displayed

FALSE -- Horizontal scroll bar is not displayed

ImeMode

Integer

Specifies the input method editor mode. This property is relevant only to applications running on a Japanese version of PowerBuilder.

Italic

Boolean

Specifies whether the text in the control is italic. Values are:

TRUE -- Text is italic

FALSE -- Text is not italic

Item[ ]

String array

Specifies the contents of the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox.

Limit

Integer

Specifies the maximum number of characters (0 to 32,767) the user can enter in the SingleLineEdit portion of the DropDownListBox (0 means unlimited).

Pointer

String

Specifies the name of the stock pointer or the file containing the pointer that will be used for the control.

RightToLeft

Boolean

Specifies that characters should be displayed in right-to-left order. The application must be running on an operating system that supports right-to-left display. Values are:

TRUE -- Characters display in right-to-left order

FALSE -- Characters display in left-to-right order

ShowList

Boolean

Specifies whether the option list always displays in the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox when the control displays. Values are:

TRUE -- Option list always displays.

FALSE -- Option list displays only when the user clicks the down arrow.

This property is usually set to false. Note that AllowEdit must be true when ShowList is true.

Sorted

Boolean

Specifies whether the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox is automatically sorted in ascending order. Values are:

TRUE -- ListBox automatically sorted.

FALSE -- ListBox not sorted.

TabOrder

Integer

Specifies the tab value of the control within the window (0 means the user cannot tab to the control).

Tag

String

Specifies the tag value assigned to the control.

Text

String

Specifies the text in the control.

TextColor

Long

Specifies the numeric value of the color used for text: -2 to 16,777,215. For more information about color, see the section called “RGB” in PowerScript Reference.

TextSize

Integer

Specifies the size of the text in the control, in points. For backward compatibility, the size is stored as a negative number; for example, 10-point text size is stored as -10.

Underline

Boolean

Specifies whether the text in the control is underlined. Values are:

TRUE -- Text is underlined.

FALSE -- Text is not underlined.

Visible

Boolean

Specifies whether the control is visible. Values are:

TRUE -- Control is visible.

FALSE -- Control is not visible.

VScrollBar

Boolean

Specifies whether a vertical scroll bar is displayed in the control. Values are:

TRUE -- Vertical scroll bar is displayed.

FALSE -- Vertical scroll bar is not displayed.

Weight

Integer

Specifies the stroke weight of the text in the control; for example, 400 for normal or 700 for bold.

Width

Integer

Specifies the width of the control, in PowerBuilder units.

X

Integer

Specifies the X position (the distance from the left edge of the window), in PowerBuilder units.

Y

Integer

Specifies the Y position (the distance from the top of the window), in PowerBuilder units.


Events

DropDownListBox event

Occurs

Constructor in PowerScript Reference

Immediately before the Open event occurs in the window

Destructor in PowerScript Reference

Immediately after the Close event occurs in the window

DoubleClicked in PowerScript Reference

When the control is double-clicked (selected and activated)

DragDrop in PowerScript Reference

When a dragged control is dropped on the control

DragEnter in PowerScript Reference

When a dragged control enters the control

DragLeave in PowerScript Reference

When a dragged control leaves the control

DragWithin in PowerScript Reference

When a dragged control is within the control

GetFocus in PowerScript Reference

Just before the control receives focus (before it is selected and becomes active)

Help in PowerScript Reference

When the user presses the F1 key or drags the context help button (question mark) from the title bar to a menu item or control

LoseFocus in PowerScript Reference

When the control loses focus (becomes inactive)

Modified in PowerScript Reference

When the control loses focus, the text has been changed, and Enter or Tab is pressed.

Other in PowerScript Reference

When a Windows message occurs that is not a PowerBuilder event

RButtonDown in PowerScript Reference

When the right mouse button is pressed on the control

SelectionChanged in PowerScript Reference

When an item is selected in the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox


Functions

DropDownListBox function

Datatype returned

Description

AddItem in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Adds a new item to the end of the ListBox portion of the control.

The AddItem function does not update the Item[ ] property of this control.

ClassName in PowerScript Reference

String

Returns the name assigned to the control.

Clear in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Clears the selected text from the control (but does not place it in the clipboard).

Copy in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Copies (but does not delete) the selected text from the control to the clipboard.

Cut in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Cuts (deletes) the selected text (if any) from the control and places it in the clipboard.

DeleteItem in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Deletes the item indicated by the index from the ListBox portion of the control.

DirList in PowerScript Reference

Boolean

Populates the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox with a list of the files of the specified type that match the specified file pattern.

DirSelect in PowerScript Reference

Boolean

Retrieves the current selection from the specified control and puts it in the specified variable.

Drag in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Starts or ends the dragging of the control.

FindItem in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Finds the first item in the ListBox portion of the control (after the specified index) that begins with a specified string.

GetContextService in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Creates a reference to a context-specific instance of the specified service.

GetParent in PowerScript Reference

PowerObject

Returns a reference to the name of the parent object.

Hide in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Makes the control invisible (hidden).

InsertItem in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Adds a new item to the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox before the item indicated by the index.

Move in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Moves the control to a specified location.

Paste in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Inserts the contents of the clipboard (if any) at the cursor location in the control.

PointerX in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Returns the distance of the pointer from the left edge of the control.

PointerY in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Returns the distance of the pointer from the top of the control.

Position in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Returns the position of the cursor in the control.

PostEvent in PowerScript Reference

Boolean

Adds an event to the end of the message queue for control.

Print in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Prints the control.

ReplaceText in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Replaces the selected text in the control with the specified string.

Reset in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Deletes all items from the control.

Resize in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Changes the size of the control.

SelectedLength in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Returns the length of the selected text in the control.

SelectedStart in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Returns the starting position of the selected text (if any) in the control.

SelectedText in PowerScript Reference

String

Returns a string containing the selected text (if any) from the control (the AllowEdit property must be true).

SelectItem in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Finds and highlights an item in the control. Use Syntax 1 when you know the text of the item but not its position. Use Syntax 2 when you know the position of the item in the control's list or you want to clear the current selection.

SelectText in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Selects the text in the control specified by the starting position and length; when the control has focus, highlights the text.

SetFocus in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Sets focus in the first item in the box.

SetPosition in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Specifies the position of the control in the front-to-back order of the window.

SetRedraw in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Controls automatic redrawing of the control after each change in its properties.

Show in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Makes the control visible.

Text in PowerScript Reference

String

Returns the text of the item in the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox that is identified by the index.

TotalItems in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Returns the total number of items in the ListBox portion of the DropDownListBox.

TriggerEvent in PowerScript Reference

Integer

Triggers a specified event in the control and executes the script for the event.

TypeOf in PowerScript Reference

Control

Returns the type of the control.