Here is a quick example on using an autocomplete combobox in the DataGridView. In this example I load all the possible values for the combobox into a AutoCompleteStringCollection and make that the DataGridViewComboBox's datasource. In the editingControl showing event you need to set the ComboBox's DropDownStyle, and the auto complete settings.
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Public Class Form1
Dim scAutoComplete As New AutoCompleteStringCollection
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim strConn As String
Dim da As SqlDataAdapter
Dim conn As SqlConnection
Dim ds As New DataSet
strConn = "Server = .\SQLEXPRESS;Database = NorthWind; Integrated Security = SSPI;"
conn = New SqlConnection(strConn)
da = New SqlDataAdapter("Select * from [Orders]", conn)
da.Fill(ds, "Orders")
DataGridView1.DataSource = ds.Tables("Orders")
Dim cmd As New SqlCommand("Select CustomerID From customers", conn)
Dim dr As SqlDataReader
conn.Open()
dr = cmd.ExecuteReader
Do While dr.Read
scAutoComplete.Add(dr.GetString(0))
Loop
conn.Close()
Dim dgvcbc As New DataGridViewComboBoxColumn
With dgvcbc
.DataPropertyName = "CustomerID"
.DataSource = scAutoComplete
.HeaderText = "Customer ID"
End With
DataGridView1.Columns.Remove("CustomerID")
DataGridView1.Columns.Insert(1, dgvcbc)
End Sub
Private Sub
DataGridView1_EditingControlShowing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.Windows.Forms.DataGridViewEditingControlShowingEventArgs)
Handles DataGridView1.EditingControlShowing
If DataGridView1.CurrentCell.ColumnIndex = 1 AndAlso TypeOf e.Control Is ComboBox Then
With DirectCast(e.Control, ComboBox)
.DropDownStyle = ComboBoxStyle.DropDown
.AutoCompleteMode = AutoCompleteMode.SuggestAppend
.AutoCompleteSource = AutoCompleteSource.CustomSource
.AutoCompleteCustomSource = scAutoComplete
End With
End If
End Sub
End Class
