Exactly, the user still has a chance to change the values.

In my case, based on the user group, I would like to provide an option to change combo value. Though I set the combo to dropdownlist, I just leftout with an option to disable the control, which looks ugly in the form with no legibility to the content inside the combo.

Any other solution?

I solved this onceby checking if the value typed in was in the collection of added items. If it was, I accepted the value and did further processing. If it wasn`t in the collection, I discarded the value and stopped further processing. Maybe this approach could help you.

use

ComboBox.IsEditable Property

ComboBox.IsReadOnly Property

Namespace : System.Windows.Controls

here is one more solution i find out

ComboBox cb = new ComboBox();
Point p = new Point(100, 100);
cb.Location = p;
this.Controls.Add(cb);
cb.BringToFront();
cb.Items.Add("A");
cb.Items.Add("B");
cb.DropDownStyle = ComboBoxStyle.DropDownList;

I found the best wayis tocreate an ExtenderProvider for the combo box whereas inside you change the dropdownstyle to simple and trap all keystrokes. You'll need to rebuild the project after you add the ReadOnlyComboProvider class. Then simply drag one of these from the toolbox onto your form and set the properties via a property window or via code.

Here's the code for the extender Provider:

Option Explicit On

Option Strict On

Option Compare Text

Imports System.ComponentModel

Imports System.Windows.Forms

<Drawing.ToolboxBitmap(GetType(System.Windows.Forms.TextBox)), _

System.ComponentModel.DesignerCategoryAttribute("Code"), _

ProvideProperty("ReadOnly", GetType(Control)), _

ProvideProperty("OrigDropDownStyle", GetType(Control))> _

Public Class ReadOnlyComboProvider

Inherits System.ComponentModel.Component

Implements IExtenderProvider

'This hash table stores all the controls extended by this extender provider

Friend htProvidedProperties As New Hashtable

#Region "IExtenderProvider"

''' <summary>

''' The Property should be Extend / Not for the TextBox classes

''' </summary>

''' <param name="extendee"></param>

''' <returns></returns>

''' <remarks></remarks>

Public Function CanExtend(ByVal extendee As Object) As Boolean Implements System.ComponentModel.IExtenderProvider.CanExtend

If TypeOf extendee Is ComboBox Then

Return True

Else

Return False

End If

End Function

#End Region

#Region "Extensible Properties"

Private Class ComboBoxProperties

Public IsReadOnly As Boolean = False

Public OrigComboBoxStyle As ComboBoxStyle = ComboBoxStyle.DropDown

End Class

<Category("Read Only Combobox Provider")> _

Sub SetReadOnly(ByVal ctrl As Control, ByVal value As Boolean)

Dim cbo As ComboBox = CType(ctrl, ComboBox)

If value = True Then

Else

End If

End Sub

<Category("Read Only Combobox Provider")> _

Function GetReadOnly(ByVal ctrl As Control) As Boolean

Return GetControlFromHashtable(ctrl).IsReadOnly

End Function

<Category("Read Only Combobox Provider")> _

Sub SetOrigDropDownStyle(ByVal ctrl As Control, ByVal value As ComboBoxStyle)

End Sub

<Category("Read Only Combobox Provider")> _

Function GetOrigDropDownStyle(ByVal ctrl As Control) As ComboBoxStyle

Return GetControlFromHashtable(ctrl).OrigComboBoxStyle

End Function

#End Region

#Region "Behavior"

Private Function GetControlFromHashtable(ByVal ctrl As Control) As ComboBoxProperties

If htProvidedProperties.Contains(ctrl) Then

Return DirectCast(htProvidedProperties(ctrl), ComboBoxProperties)

Else

Dim ProvidedProperties As New ComboBoxProperties

'Add A KeyPress Event Handler as the control is added to hash table

AddHandler ctrl.KeyPress, AddressOf KeyPressHandler

Return ProvidedProperties

End If

End Function

Private Sub KeyPressHandler(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As KeyPressEventArgs)

Dim cboSender As ComboBox = CType(sender, ComboBox)

If GetControlFromHashtable(cboSender).IsReadOnly = True Then

e.Handled = True

Else

e.Handled = False

End If

End Sub

#End Region

End Class

Hi,

I am using framwork 2.0 and I could't fınd System.Windows.Controls.dll to give referances from my project.

thanks

The best solution I have seen is to disable the box only for the short moment when it is entered.

Thatwill make it behaveexactly the same as if it was read only.

Example:

private void comboBox1_Enter(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

comboBox1.Enabled = false;

comboBox1.Enabled = true;

Rance Downer

The Code you provided Seems to work great for locking a combo box.

however it doesn't seem to unlock the combobox. am I missing something?

By the way kudo's for the best solution I have seen so far to this Fiasco by microsoft in eliminating the Locked(readonly) selection from comboboxes.

Morgan