Use NotInList Event to Add a Record to Combo Box

The following examples use the Orders form in the Northwind sample database to demonstrate two methods of using the NotInList event to add a record to a combo box. The NotInList event is triggered when you type a new company in the CustomerID (labeled Bill To:) field on the Orders form.


The first method uses Visual Basic for Applications code to programmatically add a new record to the Customers table. The second method opens the Customers form and lets you add a new record yourself.


CAUTION: If you follow the steps in this example, you modify the sample database Northwind.mdb. You may want to back up the Northwind.mdb file and follow these steps on a copy of the database.

Method 1: Using Code to Add a Record to a Table

NOTE: The sample code in this article uses Microsoft Data Access Objects. For this code to run properly, you must reference the Microsoft DAO 3.6 Object Library. To do so, click References on the Tools menu in the Visual Basic Editor, and make sure that the Microsoft DAO 3.6 Object Library check box is selected.

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
   
2. Open the Orders form in Design view.
   
3. Note that the LimitToList property of the CustomerID combo box is set to Yes.
   
4. Set the OnNotInList property of the CustomerID combo box to the following event procedure:

   Private Sub CustomerID_NotInList(NewData As String, _
               Response As Integer)
   Dim Db As DAO.Database
   Dim Rs As DAO.Recordset
   Dim Msg As String
   Dim NewID As String
   
   On Error GoTo Err_CustomerID_NotInList
   
       ' Exit this subroutine if the combo box was cleared.
       If NewData = "" Then Exit Sub
   
       ' Confirm that the user wants to add the new customer.
       Msg = "'" & NewData & "' is not in the list." & vbCr & vbCr
       Msg = Msg & "Do you want to add it?"
       If MsgBox(Msg, vbQuestion + vbYesNo) = vbNo Then
           ' If the user chose not to add a customer, set the Response
           ' argument to suppress an error message and undo changes.
           Response = acDataErrContinue
           ' Display a customized message.
           MsgBox "Please try again."
       Else
           ' If the user chose to add a new customer, open a recordset
           ' using the Customers table.
           Set Db = CurrentDb
           Set Rs = Db.OpenRecordset("Customers", dbOpenDynaset)
   
           ' Ask the user to input a new Customer ID.
           Msg = "Please enter a unique 5-character" & vbCr & "Customer ID."
           NewID = InputBox(Msg)
           Rs.FindFirst BuildCriteria("CustomerID", dbText, NewID)
           ' If the NewID already exists, ask for another new unique
           ' CustomerID
           Do Until Rs.NoMatch
              NewID = InputBox("Customer ID " & NewID & " already exists." & _
                       vbCr & vbCr & Msg, NewID & " Already Exists")
              Rs.FindFirst BuildCriteria("CustomerID", dbText, NewID)
           Loop
           ' Create a new record.
           Rs.AddNew
           ' Assign the NewID to the CustomerID field.
           Rs![CustomerID] = NewID
           ' Assign the NewData argument to the CompanyName field.
           Rs![CompanyName] = NewData
           ' Save the record.
           Rs.Update
   
           ' Set Response argument to indicate that new data is being added.
           Response = acDataErrAdded
   
       End If
   
       Exit_CustomerID_NotInList:
          Exit Sub
       Err_CustomerID_NotInList:
          ' An unexpected error occurred, display the normal error message.
          MsgBox Err.Description
          ' Set the Response argument to suppress an error message and undo
          ' changes.
          Response = acDataErrContinue
   
    End Sub
   

5. Open the Orders form in Form view.
   
6. Add a new order by typing ABC Wholesalers in the Bill To field, and enter ABCWH when you are prompted for the Customer ID. The code in the OnNotInList event procedure runs and adds a new customer to the Customers table.
   

Method 2: Using a Form to Add a New Record

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
   
2. Open the Orders form in Design view.
   
3. Note that the LimitToList property of the CustomerID combo box is set to Yes.
   
4. Set the OnNotInList property of the CustomerID combo box to the following event procedure:

   Private Sub CustomerID_NotInList (NewData As String, Response As _
                                           Integer)
   Dim Result
   Dim Msg As String
   Dim CR As String
   
       CR = Chr$(13)
   
       ' Exit this subroutine if the combo box was cleared.
       If NewData = "" Then Exit Sub
   
       ' Ask the user if he or she wishes to add the new customer.
       Msg = "'" & NewData & "' is not in the list." & CR & CR
       Msg = Msg & "Do you want to add it?"
       If MsgBox(Msg, vbQuestion + vbYesNo) = vbYes Then
          ' If the user chose Yes, start the Customers form in data entry
          ' mode as a dialog form, passing the new company name in
          ' NewData to the OpenForm method's OpenArgs argument. The
          ' OpenArgs argument is used in Customer form's Form_Load event
          ' procedure.
          DoCmd.OpenForm "Customers", , , , acAdd, acDialog, NewData
       End If
   
       ' Look for the customer the user created in the Customers form.
       Result = DLookup("[CompanyName]", "Customers", _
                "[CompanyName]='" & NewData & "'")
       If IsNull(Result) Then
          ' If the customer was not created, set the Response argument
          ' to suppress an error message and undo changes.
          Response = acDataErrContinue
          ' Display a customized message.
          MsgBox "Please try again!"
       Else
          ' If the customer was created, set the Response argument to
          ' indicate that new data is being added.
          Response = acDataErrAdded
       End If
   End Sub
   

5. Save and close the Orders form.
   
6. Open the Customers form in Design view.
   
7. Set the OnLoad property of the form to the following event procedure:

   Private Sub Form_Load ()
      If Not IsNull(Me.OpenArgs) Then
         ' If form's OpenArgs property has a value, assign the contents
         ' of OpenArgs to the CompanyName field. OpenArgs will contain
         ' a company name if this form is opened using the OpenForm
         ' method with an OpenArgs argument, as done in the Orders
         ' form's CustomerID_NotInList event procedure.
         Me![CompanyName] = Me.OpenArgs
      End If
   End Sub
   

8. Save and close the Customers form, and then open the Orders form in Form view.
   
9. Add a new order by typing ABC Distributors in the Bill To field. When the Customers form opens, enter ABCDI in the Customer ID field, and type anything that you like for the remaining customer information.