Implementing completion combobox using touch-screen buttons

[Hiroyuki Tanaka]

Hi All,

I am trying to develop an application for a touch screen using buttons
for the numeric pad with Completion ComboBoxes.

At the moment I am having a problem sending the button presses to my
Completion ComboBox using sendkey.wait. From the keyboard (that will
not exist for my final application) I can enter text into my
Completion and the selection completes as expected.

In the attached demo program I can type using the keyboard

Type Selection Box shows
4 " 440 - Line 0"
44 " 440 - Line 0"
444 " 444 - Line 4"

However when I press the four button on my form I get.

Type Selection Box shows
4 " 440 - Line 0"
4 line clears

I assume that this is related to the fact that the focus is changing
from the ComboBox to the button during the press. Then I am forcing
the focus back to the Completion ComboBox. Not the same as typing
with a keyboard where the focus does not change.

What can I do so I can have both keyboard and button pressing to work
correctly in my Completion ComboBox? Is Sendkeys the way to go?

I have attached the shortest demo program I could develop. I hope
that this is suitable to demostrate my question.

Thanks for your time in reviewing my question. I have not been clear
please ask.

Tanaka

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collecti ons;
using System.Componen tModel;
using System.Windows. Forms;
using System.Data;

namespace keypad
{
public class mdtclientForm : System.Windows. Forms.Form
{
private System.Componen tModel.Containe r components = null;
private System.Windows. Forms.Button FourButton;
private CompletionCombo Box CompletionCombo Box;

private string strLostFocus;

public mdtclientForm()
{

InitializeCompo nent();
}
protected override void Dispose( bool disposing )
{
if( disposing )
{
if (components != null)
{
components.Disp ose();
}
} base.Dispose( disposing );
}

#region Windows Form Designer generated code

private void InitializeCompo nent()
{
this.FourButton = new System.Windows. Forms.Button();
this.Completion ComboBox = new keypad.Completi onComboBox();
this.SuspendLay out();

this.FourButton .Location = new System.Drawing. Point(100, 150);
this.FourButton .Name = "FourButton ";
this.FourButton .Size = new System.Drawing. Size(50, 45);
this.FourButton .TabIndex = 29;
this.FourButton .Text = "4";
this.FourButton .Click += new
System.EventHan dler(this.Numer icPad_Click);

this.Completion ComboBox.Locati on = new System.Drawing. Point(32,
88);
this.Completion ComboBox.Name = "CompletionComb oBox";
this.Completion ComboBox.Size = new System.Drawing. Size(200, 21);
this.Completion ComboBox.TabInd ex = 3;
this.Completion ComboBox.LostFo cus += new
System.EventHan dler(this.COMBO BOX_LostFocus);
this.Completion ComboBox.Text = "<Press Keys or Buttons>";
this.Completion ComboBox.Items. AddRange(new object[] {
"440 - Line 0",
"441 - Line 1",
"442 - Line 2",
"443 - Line 3",
"444 - Line 4 ",
"445 - Line 5",
"446 - Line 5"});
this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing. Size(292, 266);
this.Controls.A dd(this.FourBut ton);
this.Controls.A dd(this.Complet ionComboBox);
this.Name = "Form1";
this.Text = "Form1";
this.ResumeLayo ut(false);
}
#endregion

[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.Run (new mdtclientForm() );
}

private void NumericPad_Clic k(object sender, System.EventArg s e)
{
foreach (Control controls in this.Controls)
{
if (controls.Name == strLostFocus)
{
if (Object.Referen ceEquals(contro ls.GetType(),
typeof(Completi onComboBox)))
{
CompletionCombo Box mycontrol = new CompletionCombo Box();
Button button = (Button) sender;
if(controls.Can Focus)
{
controls.Focus( );
SendKeys.SendWa it(button.Text) ;
}
}
}
}
}

private void COMBOBOX_LostFo cus (object sender, System.EventArg s e)
{
CompletionCombo Box comboBox = (CompletionComb oBox) sender;
strLostFocus = comboBox.Name;
}
}

public class CompletionCombo Box : ComboBox
{
public event System.Componen tModel.CancelEv entHandler NotInList;

[Category("Behav ior")]
public bool LimitToList
{
get { return _limitToList_; }
set { _limitToList_ = value; }
}

protected virtual void
OnNotInList(Sys tem.ComponentMo del.CancelEvent Args e)
{
if (NotInList != null)
NotInList.Invok e(this, e);
}

protected override void
OnValidating(Sy stem.ComponentM odel.CancelEven tArgs e)
{
if (_limitToList_)
{
int pos = FindStringExact (Text);
if (pos == -1)
OnNotInList(e);
else
this.SelectedIn dex = pos;
} base.OnValidati ng(e);
}

protected override void OnKeyDown(KeyEv entArgs args)
{
_autoComplete_ = args.KeyCode != Keys.Delete && args.KeyCode !=
Keys.Back;
base.OnKeyDown( args);
}

protected override void OnTextChanged(E ventArgs args)
{
if( _autoComplete_ )
{
string textEntered = Text;
int index = FindString(text Entered);
if( index >= 0 )
{
_autoComplete_ = false;
SelectedIndex = index;
_autoComplete_ = true;
Select(textEnte red.Length, Text.Length);
}
} base.OnTextChan ged(args);
}
private bool _autoComplete_ = true;
private bool _limitToList_ = true;
}
}