Combo Box - Max number records returned

I have a table with over 265,000 LastNames, Firstnames. The table field for
these names (Text type) length is defined as 50 characters. When I list the
values returned in the combo box, I only receive the names starting with the
letters "A" and ending with some names in the middle of the "H's". I looked
at the raw table data and observed that the combo box stops populating after
100,130 records. And displaying (scrolling thru) these records takes a long
time to get to what Access 2007 thinks is the bottom (last displayed record -
middle of the H's).

What is the limit of records displayed and is there a better way to allow
looking at the entire alphabet of names (all 265,000 and growing records)
with a combo box ?

65536 rows is the maximum for a combo box and a list box.

You would need to add a second control that would allow you to enter some
filtering criteria for the combo box so that its row count will be less than
the 65536 rows limit.

I have an example database that shows how to "combine" a textbox and
combobox for seamlessly switching from textbox (where you begin to enter the
starting character(s) that you want) to a combobox that displays the
filtered list:
Text Box & Combo Box Combination
http://www.accessmvp.com/KDSnell/Sam...TextComboBoxes

Arvin Meyer (MVP) has some sample databases that you can download for
another approach. See ExpandingSearch97 and ExpandingSearch2K at
http://www.datastrat.com/Download2.html

Allen Browne (MVP) has another approach at his website:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~allenbrowne/ser-32.html


--

Ken Snell
MS ACCESS MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/KDSnell/



"alhotch" wrote in message
...
I have a table with over 265,000 LastNames, Firstnames. The table field for
these names (Text type) length is defined as 50 characters. When I list
the
values returned in the combo box, I only receive the names starting with
the
letters "A" and ending with some names in the middle of the "H's". I
looked
at the raw table data and observed that the combo box stops populating
after
100,130 records. And displaying (scrolling thru) these records takes a
long
time to get to what Access 2007 thinks is the bottom (last displayed
record -
middle of the H's).

What is the limit of records displayed and is there a better way to allow
looking at the entire alphabet of names (all 265,000 and growing records)
with a combo box ?

Thanks, Ken. I'll look into your suggestgions. I suspected a limitation in
the amount of data a combo box can handle.

Thanks again.
Al

"Ken Snell [MVP]" wrote:

65536 rows is the maximum for a combo box and a list box.

You would need to add a second control that would allow you to enter some
filtering criteria for the combo box so that its row count will be less than
the 65536 rows limit.

I have an example database that shows how to "combine" a textbox and
combobox for seamlessly switching from textbox (where you begin to enter the
starting character(s) that you want) to a combobox that displays the
filtered list:
Text Box & Combo Box Combination
http://www.accessmvp.com/KDSnell/Sam...TextComboBoxes

Arvin Meyer (MVP) has some sample databases that you can download for
another approach. See ExpandingSearch97 and ExpandingSearch2K at
http://www.datastrat.com/Download2.html

Allen Browne (MVP) has another approach at his website:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~allenbrowne/ser-32.html


--

Ken Snell
MS ACCESS MVP
http://www.accessmvp.com/KDSnell/



"alhotch" wrote in message
...
I have a table with over 265,000 LastNames, Firstnames. The table field for
these names (Text type) length is defined as 50 characters. When I list
the
values returned in the combo box, I only receive the names starting with
the
letters "A" and ending with some names in the middle of the "H's". I
looked
at the raw table data and observed that the combo box stops populating
after
100,130 records. And displaying (scrolling thru) these records takes a
long
time to get to what Access 2007 thinks is the bottom (last displayed
record -
middle of the H's).

What is the limit of records displayed and is there a better way to allow
looking at the entire alphabet of names (all 265,000 and growing records)
with a combo box ?