diff colors for diff values in combobox

[Me!Frustrated = True]

Hmmm.... not sure if this one is beyond the capabilities of Access. But I
sure would appreciate a push in the right direction!

I have a work history/training database for keeping records of my employees'
progress. One of the tables contains a list of training topics, tests to be
taken, tasks to be done, etc, and each of those items has a due date. A
Supervisor who enters the details of a training session on the Training form
can choose one of these items from a combo box.

What I would like to do is, when a Supervisor clicks that combo box to
choose an item, any item in the list that is overdue (according to the due
date in the table) will appear in red text, while the others are in black.
The text doesn't need to stay red after they select it, it just needs to
stand out in the list while they are making their selection. I know that
conditional formatting can change the color of the contents of the control
after a selection is made, but what about before?

If anyone has the time to assist me, I am deeply grateful!

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

I don't believe it's possible to alter the appearance of the standard Access
combo box.

It's possible that you might be able to purchase a third-party tool that can
do it (I think TList, by Bennet-Tec might be able to
http://www.bennet-tec.com/btProducts/TList/TList.htm), but you'll have to
decide whether it's worth the aggravation of dealing with external
references.

 

[Klatuu]

You can't do it the way you are trying to do it.
You could try using a datasheet subform instead of a combo.

 

[Me.Frustrated = True]

Thanks for the responses gentlemen. You're right Mr. Steele, it's not worth
my time, money, or effort to go that route! There are other methods that I
can use to bring my Supervisors' attention to overdue tasks.

Thanks again!

 

[Me.Frustrated = True]

Is there a way to make a small datasheet subform behave like a drop-down list?

 

[Marshall Barton]

Personally, I would use a continuous subform instead of a
datasheet, but either way you could then use CF to get the
color you want. You can make it look similar to a combo box
by using a text box and a button just above the subform.
The button could then make the subform visible to simulate
dropping down and some click event(s?) to indicate a
selection from the list (subform). Combo boxes are pretty
powerful and some of their properties (e.g. AutoComplete,
Column, etc) can be messy to simulate.

Bottom line is that, yes, it can be done, but, depending on
your requirements and programming skills, it may be a
daunting task.

 

[Me.Frustrated = True]

Thank you Marshall. I'll probably avoid the whole issue unless I'm feeling
saucy one of these days.

Personally, I would use a continuous subform instead of a
datasheet, but either way you could then use CF to get the
color you want. You can make it look similar to a combo box
by using a text box and a button just above the subform.
The button could then make the subform visible to simulate
dropping down and some click event(s?) to indicate a
selection from the list (subform). Combo boxes are pretty
powerful and some of their properties (e.g. AutoComplete,
Column, etc) can be messy to simulate.

Bottom line is that, yes, it can be done, but, depending on
your requirements and programming skills, it may be a
daunting task.
--
Marsh
MVP [MS Access]

Is there a way to make a small datasheet subform behave like a drop-down list?