Searching a database with a ComboBox - sql

Question

for my college project I am designing a program that can read a Microsoft Access database about animals and display the data. I have managed to program it so that I can search by the animals name and it will display the records in a another form, but I need to be able to search other fields such as LatinName or AverageWeight and then display any results that have a match into a combo box which the user can then select and the program would display the code e.g. if I were to type in 50kg and there are two records with 50kg, it would display them both and then allow me to select which one I wanted.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated, fell free to ask if you need more information.
Public Class Form1
Private Sub btnsear_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnsear.Click
If (txtname.Text = "") Then
MsgBox("Invalid Search")
Else
Try
Dim newsql As String
newsql = "select * from Animals where AnimalName like " & "'%" & txtname.Text & "%'"
'MsgBox("select * from Animals where AnimalName like " & "'" & txtname.Text & "'")
'msgbox(newsql)
Dim con As New OleDb.OleDbConnection
Dim da As New OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter
' dim ds as NewDataTable
Dim dt As New DataTable("Animals")
' uses the 2010 compatible connection string
con.ConnectionString = "PROVIDER=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source = h:\Animals.accdb"
con.Open()
da = New OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter(newsql, con)
da.Fill(dt)
Form2.Show()
'show name in unbound text box
Form2.nametxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(1)
Form2.latintxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(2)
Form2.locationtxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(3)
Form2.heighttxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(4)
Form2.weighttxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(5)
Form2.diettxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(6)
Form2.statustxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(7)
Form2.lifetxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(9)
Form2.breedtxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(10)
Form2.lengthtxt.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(11)
Form2.txtimage.Text = dt.Rows(0).Item(12)
Form2.socialchk.Checked = dt.Rows(0).Item(8)
If dt.Rows(0).Item(8) = True Then
Form2.socialchk.Checked = True
Else
Form2.socialchk.Checked = False
End If
Catch
MsgBox("Item Not Found")
'con.close()
End Try
End If
If (txtopt.Text = "'") Then
Try
Dim newsql As String
newsql = "select * from Animals where AnimalName like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where LatinName like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where Location like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where AverageHeight like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where AverageWeight like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where DietaryNeeds like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where ConservationStatus like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where AverageLifeSpan like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where BreedingSeason like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
newsql = "select * from Animals where AverageLength like " & "'%" & txtopt.Text & "%'"
Catch
End Try
End If
End Sub

Answer 1

So you start the form with blank textboxes. You want to be able to search any of the textboxes by typing something in them. You should use multiple handles to get input from the textboxes, something like:
Private Sub searchByKeydown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles nameTxt.KeyDown, latintxt.KeyDown, locationtxt.KeyDown, heighttxt.KeyDown ' and all the rest of your textbox names
If e.KeyCode = Keys.Return Then ' This checks if the return key was pressed and will start the search
Dim tmpText As TextBox = DirectCast(sender, TextBox) ' grab the textbox that triggered the event
If tmpText.text = String.Empty Then ' enter was pressed without a search term
MsgBox("Please enter a search term")
Exit Sub
End If
Dim strSearchQuery As String = tmpText.text ' This is what the user wants to search
Select Case tmpText.name
Case "nameTxt"
' put in your search routine here for this textbox
Case "latintxt"
' put in your search routine here for this textbox
Case "locationtxt"
' put in your search routine here for this textbox
Case "heighttxt"
' put in your search routine here for this textbox
End Select
End If
End Sub
You will have more case statements, but this should get you going. Since you can already search by name, it's just a matter of changing the SQL statement for the other searches.

Answer 2

Per NiteTrip's answer, I believe you would also need to set the KeyPreview property of the form to TRUE so that it will pick up the keypress.