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Visual Basic Code > Use a VB listbox's ItemData property to store ID numbers

Use a VB listbox's ItemData property to store ID numbers

Often, when you fill a listbox with data from a database, you want
the control to display descriptive values; but you may also need it
to store key values as well.  For example, if you fill a listbox
with employee names, no doubt you'll also want to store each
employee 's ID number. Fortunately, if you use numbers as an ID,
Visual Basic makes it easy to so with listbox's ItemData property.
This property lets you store an additional number for each item in
the list.  To see how this works, add a listbox to a standard form
and attach the following code. When you run the project, the listbox
displays only the employee names. Click an item to see a message box
that shows both the selected employee name as well as the stored
ID number.

Private Sub Form_Load()
    'Fill List1 and ItemData array with
    'corresponding items in sorted order.
    With List1
        .AddItem "Mallik Murthy"
        .ItemData(.NewIndex) = 42310
        .AddItem "Chien Lieu"
        .ItemData(.NewIndex) = 52855
        .AddItem "Mauro Sorrento"
        .ItemData(.NewIndex) = 64932
        .AddItem "Cynthia Bennet"
        .ItemData(.NewIndex) = 39227
    End With
End Sub

Private Sub List1_Click()
    With List1
        'Append the employee number and the employee name.
        MsgBox .ItemData(.ListIndex) & " " & .List(.ListIndex), vbInformation
    End With
End Sub