OL98: How to Sort a List Box or Combo Box (229629)

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NOTE: For simplicity, the term list box will be used to denote either a list box or a combo box control.

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Using the Items.Sort Method

This method assumes that you are populating the list box with information from items in an Outlook folder. If so, you can use the Items.Sort method to sort the items based on a particular field, to loop through those sorted items, and to insert the values of the field into the list box.

This example will add a list box to a Task form and populate the list box with contacts from the default Contacts folder. The contacts will be sorted by the Full Name field.

1. Open a new Task item.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Forms, and then click Design This Form.
3. Click the (P.2) tab.
4. On the Form menu, click Control Toolbox. On the Control Toolbox, click and drag a ListBox onto the form.
5. Right-click the list box and then click Properties. On the Value tab, click New. Type TestLB for the name and click OK. Click OK again.
6. On the Form menu, click View Code.
7. In the Script Editor, type the following VBScript code:
   

   Sub Item_Open()
   
      Set objFormPage = Item.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("P.2")
      Set objListBox = objFormPage.Controls("ListBox1")
    
      Set objNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")
      ' Get the default Contacts folder
      Set objConFolder = objNS.GetDefaultFolder(10) ' olFolderContacts
   
      ' Get the items in the folder
      Set colConItems = objConFolder.Items
   
      ' Create a Restrict filter
      strFilter = "[FullName] <> " & Chr(34) & Chr(34)
   
      ' Just get those contacts with a Full Name
      Set colResItems = colConItems.Restrict(strFilter)
   
      ' Sort the contacts based on FullName
      colResItems.Sort "[FullName]"
   
      ' Loop through all of the sorted contacts
      For Each objItem in colResItems
         ' Add the name to the listbox
         objListBox.AddItem objItem.FullName
      Next
   
   End Sub
   					

8. On the Form menu, click Run This Form.
9. Click the P.2 page of the form.

The Item_Open event will fire, and then the VBScript code will sort the contacts and load the list box on the P.2 page.

Use a Sorting Algorithm

Sort algorithms can be used to sort any list. In the following example, the values in the list box are predefined and sorted using the Bubble Sort algorithm. Note that these values could also be retrieved from another source, such as an external database application.

1. On the Tools menu, point to Forms, and then click Design a Form.
2. In the Standard Forms Library, click Message, and then click Open.
3. Click the (P.2) tab.
4. On the Form menu, click Control Toolbox. On the Control Toolbox, click and drag a ListBox onto the form.
5. Right-click the list box and then click Properties. On the Value tab, click New. Type TestLB for the name and click OK. In the Possible Values field, type Dog;Cat;Mouse;Horse;Pig;Cow;Chicken;Rabbit, and then click OK.
6. On the Control Toolbox, click and drag a CommandButton onto the form.
7. Right-click the CommandButton and then click Properties. Click the Display tab, type Sort for the Caption, and then click OK.
8. On the Form menu, click View Code.
9. In the Script Editor, type the following VBScript code:
   

   Sub CommandButton1_Click()
      Dim strArray(8)
   
      Set FormPage = Item.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("P.2")
      Set ListBox1 = FormPage.Controls("ListBox1")
   
      For i = 0 to 7
         strArray(i) = ListBox1.List(i)
      Next
   
      Sort strArray, ListBox1
   
   End Sub
   
   Sub Sort(inpArray(), inpList)
      Dim intRet
      Dim intCompare
      Dim intLoopTimes
      Dim strTemp
   
      For intLoopTimes = 1 To UBound(inpArray)
         For intCompare = LBound(inpArray) To UBound(inpArray) - 1
            intRet = StrComp(inpArray(intCompare), _
            inpArray(intCompare + 1), vbTextCompare)
            If intRet = 1 Then
               ' String1 is greater than String2
               strTemp = inpArray(intCompare)
               inpArray(intCompare) = inpArray(intCompare + 1)
               inpArray(intCompare + 1) = strTemp
            End If
         Next
      Next
   
      inpList.Clear
   
      For intCompare = 1 To UBound(inpArray)
         inpList.AddItem inpArray(intCompare)
      Next
   
   End Sub
   					

10. On the Form menu, click Run This Form.
11. Click the P.2 tab and click the Sort button to sort the list box.