ListBox Searching - CodeProject

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Introduction

This code shows you how to search through a ListBox (ListBox1) and add all Items that match the search query (from TextBox1) to a second ListBox (ListBox2).

Using The Source Code

I have included two sets of the source code, one with comments, and one without. I did this because the begginers have a better chance of needed comments to walk them through the steps, but they might just be more in the way than anything else for the more advanced programmers.

The Source Code

 <FONT size=2><P></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Private</FONT><FONT size=2> </FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Sub</FONT><FONT size=2> btnSearch_Click(</FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>ByVal</FONT><FONT size=2> sender </FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>As</FONT><FONT size=2> System.Object, </FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>ByVal</FONT><FONT size=2> e </FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>As</FONT><FONT size=2> System.EventArgs) _</FONT></P><P><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>  Handles</FONT><FONT size=2> btnSearch.Click</FONT><FONT size=2></P><P></FONT><FONT color=#008000 size=2>      '//removes all items from the second List Box</P></FONT><FONT size=2><P>    ListBox2.Items.Clear()</P><P></FONT><FONT color=#008000 size=2>      '//gets the total number of items in the first ListBox</P></FONT><FONT size=2><P></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>    Dim</FONT><FONT size=2> listLength </FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>As</FONT><FONT size=2> </FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Integer</FONT><FONT size=2> = (ListBox1.Items.Count - 1)</P><P></FONT><FONT color=#008000 size=2>      '//i -> counter through loops : j ->

Now without the comments.
Private Sub btnSearch_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _ Handles btnSearch.Click ListBox2.Items.Clear() Dim listLength As Integer = (ListBox1.Items.Count - 1) Dim i, j As Integer Dim listString, newString As String If radioFull.Checked = True Then For i = 0 To listLength listString = ListBox1.Items.Item(i) If InStr(listString.ToLower, TextBox1.Text.ToLower) Then ListBox2.Items.Add(listString) End If Next ElseIf radioIndex.Checked = True Then For i = 0 To listLength listString = ListBox1.Items.Item(i) For j = 0 To listString.Length - 1 If listString.Substring(j, 1) <> Chr(32) Then newString += listString.Substring(j, 1) Else If InStr(newString, TextBox1.Text) Then ListBox2.Items.Add(ListBox1.Items.Item(i)) End If Exit For End If Next newString = Nothing Next ElseIf radioText.Checked = True Then Dim spaceCharCounter As Integer = 0 For i = 0 To listLength listString = ListBox1.Items.Item(i) For j = 0 To listString.Length - 1 If spaceCharCounter >= 2 Then newString += listString.Substring(j, 1) ElseIf listString.Substring(j, 1) = Chr(32) Then spaceCharCounter += 1 End If Next If InStr(newString.ToLower, TextBox1.Text.ToLower) Then ListBox2.Items.Add(ListBox1.Items.Item(i)) End If listString = Nothing spaceCharCounter = 0 newString = Nothing Next ElseIf radioAdvText.Checked = True Then Dim spaceCharCounter As Integer = 0 For i = 0 To listLength listString = ListBox1.Items.Item(i) For j = 0 To listString.Length - 1 If spaceCharCounter >= 2 Then newString += listString.Substring(j, 1) ElseIf listString.Substring(j, 1) = Chr(32) Then spaceCharCounter += 1 End If Next If InStr(newString, TextBox1.Text) Then ListBox2.Items.Add(ListBox1.Items.Item(i)) End If listString = Nothing spaceCharCounter = 0 newString = Nothing Next End If listString = NothingEnd Sub

The End

I would have seperated the different RadioButton.Checked statements for easier reading, but I'm having some problems with the editor.

Have Fun!

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About the Author

Yep-ItsMe

Web Developer

United States

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3+ years Visual Basic.NET programming experience. A little ASP.NET and HTML as well.

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can i have exmaple in c# ManasAddy 3:41 7 May '09

please i need in c#

hi5

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excellent Kuba.cz 9:21 6 Oct '08

thanks for this source code!

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Problem about Listbox properties [modified] Newbie_dydy85 23:30 15 Oct '06

Dim i As Integer = 1
Dim j As Integer = lbStockID.Items.Count - 1
For i = 1 To j
Dim stockcode As String = lbStockID.Items.Item(i)
Dim quantity As string = lbQuantity.Items.Item(i)

//Establish connection
Dim ConnInsSalesD As New SqlConnection("Password=''; Persist Security Info=True;User ID='sa';Initial Catalog=FYP;Data Source='.'")

Dim strInsSalesD As String
strInsSalesD = "Insert into SalesDetails Values('" & SDID & "','" & quantity & "','" & lblSID.Text & "','" & stockcode & "')"

ConnInsSalesD.Open()
Dim cmdInsSalesD As New SqlCommand(strInsSalesD, ConnInsSalesD)
cmdInsSalesD.ExecuteNonQuery()
ConnInsSalesD.Close()
Next i

I am a newbie in learning vb.net. Here is the problem, i need to get all the data inside the listbox ad update to database. SO, i use a for loop to save into database. But the data in the listbox can't be retrieved. I am very frustrated with this any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

-- modified at 9:59 Monday 16th October, 2006

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Too much code! rpgmaker 4:44 19 Sep '06

Why not learn regular expression and you simple search faster

You can have a regular expression like this one
@"\([stringToSearch]?)$\m" and if any item in your list match the regexp, then the item then should be added to the list of found items and then you can simply use Listbox.AddRange(FoundItemList)

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What ever happened to white space? Bkins 8:14 12 Sep '06

This may be an issue with TheCodeProject, but I seem to be seeing more and more code that has little to no white space. Am I the only one that likes to see some space between lines/functional groupings?

As far as the article: I agree with Itay Sagui. So my final vote will be a 3.

Bkins

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Re: What ever happened to white space? Anthony Queen 9:51 12 Sep '06

Man, you are so right. But, it's not an issue with CodeProject. The editor will preserve your code (white space and all) the way you put it in.

I've noticed a lot of articles with large monolithic sections of code. Talk about hard to read.

Btw, I voted 3 as well.

It's only when you look at an ant through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames.

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Re: What ever happened to white space? Yep-ItsMe 11:23 12 Sep '06

lol, I would have put some spaces and all in the code, but when I pasted it from VS.NET it took out all the blank lines and all my indenting so I had to manually do the latter . That was a pain! And to make it worse, everytime I pressed Enter it erased all the code on the line above, so that's why I couldn't seperate my code blocks.

it took a little trial and error, but...well, still nothing yet...

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Large number of items Itay Sagui 22:40 11 Sep '06

I doubt this code will work will a REALLY large amount of items. I mean something above 10K items
First of all, your strings handling looks a bit "amaturish" - scanning a string one char at the time?!
Also, you're doing all the processing in the main GUI thread, which will cause the application to hang until all the processing is done. You should do the processing in a different thread.

One more thing - this solution, while it might work for a small number of items, is not really modulare from the GUI's point of view. Try creating all your options' GUI and all your logic into a user control, and have that user control accept a listbox.... That way, you can just drag and drop your control into any form, provide it with a listbox, and you're done.

Itay Sagui  |  Tzunami Inc
Tel: +972-9-9507479  |  Mobile: +972-54-5343800  |  Email: itay@tzunami.com

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Re: Large number of items Yep-ItsMe 6:43 12 Sep '06

Thanks for the feedback. I agree with all the points you made and I know that this could have been done better, but this was my first time attempting a search function. I would update the code, but I think it would be good practice for others who are wanting to expand their knowledge and skills and see how much they can figure out on their own. lol, if anyone does need some help, just ask. Thanks again!

it took a little trial and error, but...well, still nothing yet...

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HTML Editor Problems Yep-ItsMe 11:33 11 Sep '06

I've had some problems with the editor, so that's why all the code is Italic and the lines are to long. Yeah, I know, it's annoying, but there's not anything I can do about it right now. Hopefully the staff can get it fixed soon!

it took a little trial and error, but...well, still nothing yet...

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Re: HTML Editor Problems Anthony Queen 12:03 11 Sep '06

The reason your lines are so long is because of your code. The editer treats code as special and doesn't wrap it. Because of this, the web page is wider and the rest of your text wraps accordingly. If you shorten the length of your code (width of lines), then the rest of the page will wrap accordingly.

Though, it seems to be wider than usual (even than the visible code)

It's only when you look at an ant through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames.

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Re: HTML Editor Problems Yep-ItsMe 15:06 11 Sep '06

Great! Much better, although it is still a little long like you pointed out. Thanks

it took a little trial and error, but...well, still nothing yet...

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Voting... [modified] Yep-ItsMe 11:31 11 Sep '06

It would be great if you could leave feedback too.

-- modified at 17:24 Tuesday 12th September, 2006

it took a little trial and error, but...well, still nothing yet...

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First Posted	11 Sep 2006
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