How can I make Access combo boxes unfurl on arrow key down?

4
votes

With combo box controls, I'm used to being able tab to them, click the down arrow key to open up the options, and then use the up and down arrow keys to navigate those options. In an Access form I've designed, pressing down while a combo box is active moves to the next control. I already have tab for that, so how can I get the down arrow to behave as I expect?

These combo boxes are the only thing between me and a mouse-free form, which I consider essential for data entry.

3
ms-accessformscomboboxms-access-2003
Down arrow to dropdown a combo box is not Windows standard behavior, so it's not surprising that you have to implement a workaround to get a nonstandard response. F4 is the Windows default keyboard shortcut for dropping a combo box, though MS has badly polluted that by tying it to the LookIn dropdown in a number of file open dialogs. – David-W-Fenton
That's interesting. I've used Windows almost exclusively for 14 years, and yet I have this idea that the down arrow should open combo boxes. And I just tried the down arrow on a combo box at W3schools, which didn't work (Alt+Down did). Where the hell did I get this idea? – Matt Parker

3 Answers

5
votes

Alt + ↓ (Down Arrow) does not work?

1
votes

In the event for KeyDown, you can check if the down arrow was pressed, and if it was, you can execute the following

ComboBox1.Dropdown

1
votes

Alternatively, dropdown the combo box in the OnEnter event, then the arrow keys work for navigation up and down the list. I very often do this, anyway, since users seem to function better if they can see the list and don't have to click the dropdown arrow to get to it.