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Combo Box and Dropdown List BoxLocate this document in the navigation structure

Definition

A combo box consists of an input field and a dropdown list box. You can use a combo box to either enter data directly or select an item from the dropdown list. The dropdown list box is not editable. You can use it to select an item from a list of items.

Use

Access

Dropdown boxes and combo boxes support sequential element navigation. This means that you can move the focus forwards to a box using Tab or backwards using Shift + Tab. If an underlying function exists, you can start it by pressing F2. This corresponds to a double click with the left mouse button.

Internal Navigation, Selection, and Manipulation Within a Combo Box

For more information on this topic, see Input Field.

Internal Navigation, Selection, and Manipulation Within a Dropdown List Box

To call up the value list in a combo box or a dropdown list box, choose Alt + Arrow down. Then use the up and down arrow keys to navigate to your target value and select it with Enter. To go to the end or the beginning of the dropdown list, choose End or Home. You can also use Page Down and Page Up to move the focus through a list with many entries in larger steps.

Alternatively, you can navigate between the value list entries without opening the value list explicitly. By choosing [Right] or [Left] when the dropdown list box has the focus, you can call up the value list entries one by one.

If the text cursor is on the first item in a combo box, you can use Backspace to call up a history list. From this list you can select one of the entries used before.

Auto Completion

When you enter the first characters in a combo box, the auto completion function automatically selects the most suitable item in a list and displays this item in the field. The characters you have entered remain deselected.

Exit

There are several ways to exit a dropdown list box:

  • To select the focused list option in a dropdown list and go to the next user interface element, choose Tab.

  • To accept the change and close the dropdown list without moving the focus to the next user interface element, choose Enter.

  • To close the dropdown list without selecting the focused list option, choose Escape or Alt + Arrow up or Alt + Arrow down.