How to check whether the item in the combo box is selected or not in C#?

Question

I have a combo box in which I have to display the dates from a database. The user has to select a date from the combo box to proceed further, but I don't know how to make the user aware of selecting the item from the combo box first in order to proceed further.

What process should be followed so that a user can get a message if he has not selected the date from the combo?

score 14 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:47

14

if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(ComboBox.SelectedText)) 
{
 MessageBox.Show("Select a date");
}

answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:47

Ashish Gupta

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2

I know this post is old, but as I stumbled this, some might stumble as well. In my case the 'ComboBox.SelectedText' didn't work, I had to use 'ComboBox.Text'. I only checked that there is one other answer with my approach, but appart from my UP to that answer, here might catch the eye more easily. – StinkyCat Mar 04 '13 at 15:45
1

@StinkyCat is right... I kept getting a null value when using 'SelectedText' or 'SelectedValue' but simply using 'Text' works. – KingOfAllTrades Aug 26 '15 at 16:47
its easier to use Combobox.SelectedItem.ToString so that you have an idea of what was selected or if nothing was selected at all. but thanks for the answer this helped. – JT4U Aug 12 '16 at 15:28

score 4 · Answer 2 · edited Mar 31 '12 at 22:21

4

Here is the perfect coding which checks whether the Combo Box Item is Selected or not:

if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(comboBox1.Text))
{
    MessageBox.Show("No Item is Selected"); 
}
else
{
    MessageBox.Show("Item Selected is:" + comboBox1.Text);
}

edited Mar 31 '12 at 22:21

shanethehat

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answered Mar 31 '12 at 21:32

Gokul

137
1
3

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 12 '11 at 16:05

3

You can use this:

if (Convert.ToInt32(comboBox1.SelectedIndex) != -1)
{
    // checked
}
else
{
    // unckecked
}

answered Dec 12 '11 at 16:05

eduardomozart

1,444
15
14

Hans Passant · Answer 4 · 2017-10-16T09:35:13.900

2

You'll want to use DropDownStyle = DropDownList so you can easily make sure that the user picked an entry from the list and can't type random text in the box. Add an empty item to Items before you populate it (or "Please select"). Now, the default is automatically empty and the test is simple: just check that SelectedIndex > 0.

edited Oct 16 '17 at 09:35

answered Mar 17 '10 at 09:00

Hans Passant

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2,536

I guess this should be the default style of a ComboBox – meJustAndrew Oct 16 '17 at 09:34

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:37

1

check the text property like this

if (combobox.text != String.Empty)
{
//continue
}
else
{
// error message
}

answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:37

Wael Dalloul

22,172
11
48
57

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:45

1

if (cboDate.SelectedValue!=null)
{
      //there is a selected value in the combobox
}
else
{
     //no selected value
}

answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:45

NET Experts

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17
35

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Apr 19 '16 at 20:14

1

if(combobox.Selectedindex==-1)
{
MessageBox.Show("Please Select an item");
}

else
{
MessageBox.Show("An Item was selected");
}

answered Apr 19 '16 at 20:14

Adumuah Dowuona

121
1
11

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Apr 14 '13 at 17:23

Pl. note ComboBox.Text only checks for the Text that is at the editable region of the ComboBox, so that's not supposed to be used when you want to check if there's some selection from within the ComboBox.

This will work always.

        int a = ComboBox.SelectedIndex.CompareTo(-1);

        if (a == 0)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Please select something.");
        }
        else
        {
            // do something if combo box selection is done.!
        }

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:47

0

You can use SelectedIndex or SelectedItem properties of the ComboBox.

answered Mar 17 '10 at 08:47

Andrew Bezzub

15,744
7
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How to check whether the item in the combo box is selected or not in C#?

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