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ComboBox.SelectedIndex Property

.NET Framework 3.5

Gets or sets the index specifying the currently selected item.

Namespace:  System.Windows.Forms
Assembly:  System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)
C#
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JScript
VB
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[BrowsableAttribute(false)]
public override int SelectedIndex { get; set; }

Property Value

Type: System.Int32
A zero-based index of the currently selected item. A value of negative one (-1) is returned if no item is selected.
Exception Condition
ArgumentOutOfRangeException

The specified index is less than or equal to -2.

-or-

The specified index is greater than or equal to the number of items in the combo box.

This property indicates the zero-based index of the currently selected item in the combo box list. Setting a new index raises the SelectedIndexChanged event.

SelectedIndex , SelectedValue, and FormattingEnabled are related as follows:

Note Note:

To deselect the currently selected item, set the SelectedIndex to -1. You cannot set the SelectedIndex of a ComboBox item to -1 if the item is a data-bound item.

The following code example show how to use the FindString method and SelectedIndex property. The example is part of a complete example in the ComboBox class overview.

C#
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VB
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private void findButton_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
    int index = comboBox1.FindString(textBox2.Text);
    comboBox1.SelectedIndex = index;
}

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0, 1.0
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Adding Empty Item to the top of a bound combo box, and Unselecting combo
private void Load ComboMethod(){
DataTabledtFruit =newDataTable("FruitTable");

//define columns
DataColumncolID =newDataColumn();
colID.DataType=typeof(Int32);//VB.NET GetType(Int32)
colID.ColumnName="ID";
DataColumncolDesc =newDataColumn();
colDesc.DataType=typeof(String);
colDesc.ColumnName="Description";

//add columns to table
dtFruit.Columns.AddRange(newDataColumn[]{colID,colDesc });


//add rows
DataRowrow =dtFruit.NewRow();
row[colID]=1;row[colDesc]="Apples";
dtFruit.Rows.Add(row);

row =dtFruit.NewRow();
row[colID]=1;row[colDesc]="Bananas";
dtFruit.Rows.Add(row);

row =dtFruit.NewRow();
row[colID]=1;row[colDesc]="Oranges";
dtFruit.Rows.Add(row);

//add extra blank row.
DataRowViewdrv =dtFruit.DefaultView.AddNew();
drv.EndEdit();


//Bind combo box
DataViewdv =newDataView(dtFruit);
dv.Sort="ID ASC";//ensure blank item on top
cboFruit.DataSource=dv;
cboFruit.DisplayMember="Description";
cboFruit.ValueMember="ID";

}


private void UnselectComboMethod(){
if(cboFruit.SelectedIndex>0)
{
cboFruit.SelectedIndex=0;
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("no fruit selected");
}
}
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