XL2000: How to Remove All Items from a ListBox or ComboBox

There is no single method that you can use to remove all items from a ListBox or ComboBox control on a UserForm. The method that you use to remove an item depends on whether the ListBox or ComboBox control is bound to a worksheet. This article contains examples that remove items from a sample control that is bound to a worksheet and a sample control that is not bound to a worksheet.

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ListBox or ComboBox Control That Is Bound to a Worksheet

To build a sample UserForm that contains a ListBox control that is bound to a worksheet and then remove items in the control, follow these steps:

1. Close and save any open workbooks, and then create a new workbook.
2. On Sheet1, type the following values:

          A1: Alpha
          A2: Bravo
          A3: Charlie
          A4: Delta
          A5: Echo
   					

3. Start the Visual Basic Editor (press ALT+F11).
4. If the Properties window is not visible, click Properties on the View menu (or press F4).
5. If the Project Explorer window is not visible, click Project Explorer on the View menu.
6. On the Insert menu, click UserForm.
7. Draw a ListBox control on the UserForm.
8. Switch to the Properties window (press F4).
9. Change the RowSource property of the ListBox control to the following value:
   Sheet1!A1:A5
10. Draw a CommandButton control on the UserForm.
11. Double-click the CommandButton to open the code window for the CommandButton.
12. In the module, type the following code for the CommandButton Click event:

    Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
        ListBox1.RowSource = ""
    End Sub
    					

13. Run the UserForm.
    
    The list box that you added to the UserForm is populated with the values that you entered on Sheet1.
14. Click the CommandButton.

All of the items are removed from ListBox1.

ListBox or ComboBox That Is Not Bound to a Worksheet

To build a sample UserForm that contains a ListBox control that is populated with an array of values when the UserForm loads, and to then remove items in the control, follow these steps:

1. Close and save any open workbooks, and then create a new workbook.
2. Start the Visual Basic Editor (press ALT+F11).
3. If the Properties window is not visible, click Properties on the View menu (or press F4).
4. On the Insert menu, click UserForm.
5. Double-click the UserForm to open the code window for the UserForm.
6. In the module, type the following code for the UserForm Initialize event:

   Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
       Dim MyArray As Variant
       Dim i As Integer
   
       'Initialize array with values to populate ListBox.
       MyArray = Array("Alpha", "Bravo", "Charlie", "Delta","Echo")
   
       For i = LBound(MyArray) To Ubound(MyArray)
   
           'Add a value from MyArray to ListBox1.
           UserForm1.ListBox1.AddItem MyArray(i)
   
       Next
   End Sub
   						

   This procedure populates ListBox1 when the UserForm is loaded.
7. Draw a ListBox control on the UserForm.
8. Draw a CommandButton control on the UserForm.
9. Double-click the CommandButton to open the code window for the CommandButton.
10. In the module, type the following code for the CommandButton Click event:

    Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
        Dim i As Integer
    
        For i = 1 To ListBox1.ListCount
    
            'Remove an item from the ListBox.
            ListBox1.RemoveItem 0
    
        Next i
    End Sub
    						

    This Visual Basic procedure removes all of the items from ListBox1.
11. Run the UserForm.
12. Click the CommandButton.

All of the items are removed from ListBox1.

For more information about using the ListBox control, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type listbox control in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about using the RowSource property, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type rowsource property in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For more information about using the RemoveItem method, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type removeitem method in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.