Indicate combobox values with a specific ids? - vb.net

Question

I made a Sub that will populate my combobox with loan descriptions. I want to get the loancode of the loandescription on selectedindexchanged without querying again the database. Is this possible? Or should I query the database to get the indicated loancode?
Private Sub LoanProducts()
Using cmd As New SqlClient.SqlCommand("SELECT loancode,loandescription FROM LoanProducts", gSQlConn)
Dim dt As New DataTable
Dim da As New SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter
dt.Clear()
da.SelectCommand = cmd
da.Fill(dt)
For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows
CmbLoanAvail.Items.Add(row("loandescription"))
Next row
End Using
End Sub
Expected output:
Everytime the combobox index changed, the loancode of the selected loandescription will be displayed to a textbox.

Answer 1

Set DataTable to combobox .DataSource property and populate .ValueMember and .DisplayMember properties with corresponding column names.
Private Sub LoanProducts()
Dim query As String = "SELECT loancode, loandescription FROM LoanProducts"
Using command As New SqlCommand(query, gSQlConn)
Dim data As New DataTable
Dim adapter As New SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter With
{
.SelectCommand = cmd
}
adapter.Fill(data)
CmbLoanAvail.ValueMember = "loancode"
CmbLoanAvail.DisplayMember = "loandescription"
CmbLoanAvail.DataSource = data
End Using
End Sub
You can use SelectionChangeCommitted event to execute some action when user made a selection
Private Sub comboBox1_SelectionChangeCommitted(
ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles comboBox1.SelectionChangeCommitted
Dim combobox As ComboBox = DirectCast(sender, ComboBox)
Dim selectedCode As String = combobox.SelectedValue.ToString() // returns 'loancode'
End Sub

Answer 2

If you could get DB rows as strongly typed classes, you could make use of ItemSource, DisplayMember and ValueMember, which would solve your problem.
In case you presented, you can use SelectedIndex property of ComboBox. Also, you need to store resultset in some class field (preferably Pirvate one). See example code below:
Public Class Form4
Private _result As DataTable
Private Sub Form4_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim dt As New DataTable
dt.Columns.Add("col1")
dt.Columns.Add("col2")
dt.Rows.Add("val11", "val12")
dt.Rows.Add("val21", "val22")
' at this point, we got our result from DB
_result = dt
For Each row As DataRow In dt.Rows
ComboBox1.Items.Add(row("col1"))
Next
End Sub
Private Sub ComboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles ComboBox1.SelectedIndexChanged
Dim selectedIndex = ComboBox1.SelectedIndex
Dim selectedRow = _result(selectedIndex)
End Sub
End Class

Answer 3

Keep your database objects local to the method where they are used so you can ensure that they are closed and disposed. Note the comma at the end of the first Using line. This includes the command in the same Using block.
Set the DataSource, DisplayMember and ValueMember after the Using block so the user interface code doesn't run until the connection is disposed.
To get the loan code you simply access the SelectValue of the ComboBox.
Private Sub LoanProducts()
Dim dt As New DataTable
Using gSqlConn As New SqlConnection("Your connection string"),
cmd As New SqlClient.SqlCommand("SELECT loancode,loandescription FROM LoanProducts", gSqlConn)
gSqlConn.Open()
dt.Load(cmd.ExecuteReader)
End Using
ComboBox1.DataSource = dt
ComboBox1.DisplayMember = "loandescription"
ComboBox1.ValueMember = "loancode"
End Sub
Private Sub ComboBox1_SelectionChangeCommitted(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles ComboBox1.SelectionChangeCommitted
MessageBox.Show($"The Loan Code is {ComboBox1.SelectedValue}")
End Sub