DSP® Application Development

Add List Boxes and Combo Boxes

List box and combo box are Control Types that display a field as a list box or text box with options from a selected table or view.

When creating list views:

  • Use the naming convention webXXXList where XXX describes what is being listed, for example, webProductList.
  • Include only the columns that apply to the List Value, List Display, List Select or List WHERE clause registrations.
  • Include a unique set of data.
  • Do not sort in the view. Sorting is done in DSP® using the List Order By Column Property option. Sorting is not officially supported in later versions of Microsoft SQL Server.

When creating a combo box:

  • Only values in the list view can be entered in the field.
  • Use a combo box instead of a list box when the list view contains too many records to display suitably as a List Box.
  • Enable List Filter to allow filter on a combo box.
  • Include both a description field and a combined value and description field. Do not display both on the combo box filter page to prevent displaying duplicate field information. You can hide either of the fields using a column property with View Type set to Filter (Control) and selecting hide in the Control Status property. If the list view contains other fields that do not aid in the combo box search, you can hide them using additional Filter (Control) properties.

  • Create a column property with View Type set to Control to define the list view properties for fields which have check tables.

To create a list box or combo box:

  1. Access the Page Columns page.
  2. Click Add.

    View the field descriptions for the Page Columns page

  3. Enter the name of the list box or combo box in the COLUMN field.
  4. Select List Box or Combo Box in the CONTROL list box.
  5. Select the list box or combo box view from the LIST SOURCE list box.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Click Vertical View.
  8. Select the value that stores the field from theList Value Field list box.
  9. Select the field that displays a description of the field from theList DisplayField list box.

    NOTE: In most cases, List Value Field is the primary key stored in the table and List Display Field is the option visible in the list box.

  10. Click Save.

These settings are available for List Boxes and Combo Boxes: