Recreating the 'Show Possibilities As You type' effect

[GlobeTrotter]

This is trying to recreate the effect, when you, are given possibilities as you type, in the form of hilighted text. I wrote a procedure to do so, and it is called in the text_change event, but the problem is that the user can't use the delete/backspace key when it's is in use.

I realize the problem is that it is assigning the hilighted text after you press delete, so I need a way of recognizing when the user has deleted text, so that the procedure won't be called when it has been.

This is the procedure, you input the textbox name and the sorted array of string possibilities. Call it in the text_change event.

VisualBASIC:

Private Sub ShowPossiblesAsTyped(ByRef txtTextBox As TextBox, aryStrings() As String)     '--------------------------------------     'Sub program:        ShowPossiblesAsTyped     'Date Written:       June 20, 2005     'Purpose:            Show a hilighted version of the possible string similar to what     '                    they type, as they type     'Input:              Text from the textbox we're working with     'Output:             Hilighted possibility to the end     'Sub program Input : Textbox to work with, array of strings     'Sub program Output: none     '--------------------------------------         'Note: the inputted array must be sorted         Dim iCount As Integer     Dim iCount2 As Integer     Dim iCursorStart As Integer 'Where the cursor/blinking line/ is     Dim iCursorLength As Integer     Dim stInput As String 'The string in the textbox     Dim stSameString As String     Dim iTempSameCount As Integer         'Assign the cursor, and the input text     iCursorStart = txtTextBox.SelStart     stInput = txtTextBox.Text         For iCount = 0 To UBound(aryStrings)         If InStr(UCase(aryStrings(iCount)), UCase(stInput)) Then             For iCount2 = 1 To Len(stInput)                 If Mid(UCase(aryStrings(iCount)), iCount2, 1) = Mid(UCase(stInput), iCount2, 1) Then                     iTempSameCount = iTempSameCount + 1                 Else                     iCount2 = Len(stInput)                 End If             Next iCount2             If iTempSameCount > 0 Then                 stInput = aryStrings(iCount)                 stSameString = aryStrings(iCount) 'Since we end the loop, we need a variable                                                   'to work with outside the loop                 iCount = UBound(aryStrings) 'End the loop             Else                 iTempSameCount = 0             End If         End If     Next iCount             'iCursorStart = iTempSameCount     iCursorLength = Len(stSameString) - iTempSameCount         'Assign the changed text     txtTextBox.Text = stInput         'To ensure no errors, make sure the cursor position is valid, then assign it     If iCursorStart >= 0 Then         txtTextBox.SelStart = iCursorStart     End If     If iCursorStart + iCursorLength <= Len(stInput) Then         txtTextBox.SelLength = iCursorLength     End If     End Sub

I would appreciate any help, please.

[GlobeTrotter]

Could I please have some help, this has been here for a while and has only gotten 9 views!

[[Gandalf]]

Sorry, but I can't help since I don't have any VB knowledge. The problem is that not too many people here VB here...

Maybe try detecting the length of the text continuously, and when there is less characters than there was previously you know that the user has deleted some text.

[Tony]

Well you could keep track of the cursor's position. If it suddenly goes to the left instead of expected right, the user must have backspaced a letter (or just clicked somewhere else)

[[Gandalf]]

Yep, that's why I chose to detect the amount of letters in the string (or whatever it is) instead. When there are less than there were previously, you know for sure that the user deleted a letter.

[wtd]

If you're using VB.NET, I strongly suggest you ditch VB and use C#. Seriously. You'll thank me.