Adding blank line to combo box using Generics and BindingSource VB 2005

[mollyf]

I've got a combo box that I want to bind a collection to. I got the
error "Complex Data Binding accepts as a data source either an IList or
an IListSource" so I tried using the BindingSource, which works except
when I want to have a blank line as the first item in the combo
box--then all that is displayed is the type of object.

Here is the code for filling the collection:

Public Function GetCollection(B yRef cndb As SqlConnection, Optional
ByVal addBlank As Boolean = True, Optional ByVal activeOnly As Boolean
= True) As SingleKeyCollec tion(Of KeyType, ObjectType)
Try
'Wrap the collection in the wrapper to properly load from
XML
Dim coll As New CollectionWrapp er(Of KeyType, ObjectType)
'Be sure to convert all strings to db type paramaters using
db.todb()
coll = db.executeColle ctionReader(cnd b,
db.buildCommand (cndb, SP_GETS, PARAM_ACTONLY, activeOnly), coll)

If IsNothing(coll) Then
coll = New CollectionWrapp er(Of KeyType, ObjectType)
End If
'If addBlank is true add a null ent
If addBlank Then

Dim blank As ObjectType =
Activator.Creat eInstance(GetTy pe(ObjectType))
With blank
.SetKey(CType(N ULL_KEY_VALUE, KeyType))
.IsActive = True
.IsActiveSpecif ied = True
End With
'add the blank to the front of the collection
If coll.Items.Coun t = 0 Then
coll.Items.Add( blank)
Else
coll.Items.Inse rt(0, blank)
End If
End If

'return the collection
Return coll.Items

Catch ex As SQL_GerneralExc eption
Throw New BL_SQLException (ex.Message)
Catch ex As SQL_UnknownSQLE xception
Throw New BL_SQLException (ex.Message)
Catch ex As Exception
Throw New BL_GeneralExcep tion(ex.Message )
End Try
End Function

Here is the code where I'm trying to fill the combo box:

Public Overridable Sub SetDropDowns(By Val groupTitleColle ction As
SingleKeyCollec tion(Of Integer, ContactGroupTit le_BO))
Dim bindingsource1 As New BindingSource

'Set the grouptitle datasource
'Me.cboGroupTit le.DisplayMembe r = "DisplayVal ue"
'Me.cboGroupTit le.ValueMember = "Key"
bindingsource1. DataSource = groupTitleColle ction
Me.cboGroupTitl e.DisplayMember = "DisplayVal ue"
Me.cboGroupTitl e.ValueMember = "Key"
cboGroupTitle.D ataSource = bindingsource1

End Sub

Now when I call the GetFunction to create a collection and I pass in
false for the optional parameter addBlank, the values I expect to be
displayed in the combo box are displayed but I want a blank line as
users don't always want to select a value and when I pass in true for
the optional parameter, then the type of groupTitleColle ction is
displayed (and in this example, it's
BusinessLogic.C ontractGroupTit le_BO. Any suggestions of what needs to
be changed?

Thanks.

Molly J. Fagan