How to Read Database Fields Into and Out of a List Box

  List1.AddItem Data1.Recordset(Field1) & Chr$(9) & Data1.Recordset(Field2)
				

   Dim X As Integer
   X = InStr(List1.Text, Chr$(9))
   Text1 = Mid$(List1.Text, 1, X - 1) ' Will Contain Field1
   Text2 = Mid$(List1.Text, X + 1, (Len(List1.Text) - X)) ' Contains Field2
				

Step-by-Step Example

1. Start Visual Basic or from the File menu, choose New Project (ALT, F, N) if Visual Basic is already running. Form1 is created by default.
2. Place two Text Boxes (Text1 and Text2), a List Box (List1), and a data control (Data1) on Form1.
3. Set the following properties of the Data Control:

      Property       Setting      Comment
      ---------------------------------------
      DatabaseName   BIBLIO.MDB   The sample db in the Visual Basic directory
      Recordsource   Authors      The Authors table is in BIBLIO.MDB
   
   						

4. Add the following code to the Form_Load event:

      Sub Form_Load()
         Data1.Refresh
         ' Loop until you reach the last record:
         Do Until Data1.Recordset.EOF
            ' Load the list box with fields separated with a tab:
            ' Enter the following two lines as one, single line:
            List1.AddItem Data1.Recordset("Au_Id") & Chr$(9) &
               Data1.Recordset("Author")
            Data1.Recordset.MoveNext
         Loop
         ' Initialize list box and text boxes to first item:
         List1.ListIndex = 0
      End Sub
   
   						

5. Add the following code to the Click event of List1:

      Sub List1_Click()
         Dim X As Integer
         ' Find first tab character:
         X = InStr(List1.Text, Chr$(9))
         ' Put all characters before tab into Text1:
         Text1 = Mid$(List1.Text, 1, X - 1)
         ' Put all characters after tab into Text2:
         Text2 = Mid$(List1.Text, X + 1, (Len(List1.Text) - X))
      End Sub
   
   						

6. Press the F5 key to run the program. Select an item in the List Box. The Author ID should be in Text1 and Author name should be in Text2.