ADO.NET 3.5 Cookbook, 2nd Edition

8.13. Binding Data to a Windows Forms Control

Problem

You need to populate a ComboBox from a database and bind a field in a database to the ComboBox so you can select its corresponding value.

Solution

You need to:

• Fill a ComboBox from a database (pay attention to the difference between the SelectedIndex and SelectedValue).

• Bind a ComboBox to a field in a result set so that the value is selected in the ComboBox corresponding to the value in a field for the record displayed.

• Use the selection events returned by the ComboBox.

Follow these steps:

1. Create a C# Windows Forms application named BindWindowsFormSimpleControl.

2. Add the following controls to the Form1 design surface:

   • Label with Text property = Department:

   • ComboBox named departmentComboBox

The completed layout of the Windows Form named Form1 is shown in Figure 8-25.

Figure 8-25. Layout for Form1 in BindWindowsFormSimpleControl solution

The C# code in Form1.cs in the project BindWindowsFormSimpleControl is shown in Example 8-25. The solution binds a DataView containing the DepartmentID and Name for all records in the HumanResources.Department table in AdventureWorks to the ComboBox. The handler for the SelectedIndexChanged event of the ComboBox control displays the values for the SelectedValue and SelectedText properties of the ComboBox after its selected item has changed.

Example 8-25. File: Form1.cs for BindWindowsFormSimpleControl solution