How to create an iTunes like search on a ListBox in VB6

This tutorial will help you create iTunes like searches on a VB6 ListBox.

First of all you must already have your form created with a ListBox in it full of data. I usually use the CheckBox Styled ListBox because it allows me to select multiple elements easily but if you only need to select on item of the list use the standard style.

Below the ListBox create a textbox that is going to be used to do the search. Create a button called next that is going to be used to cycle thru other possible matches to your search. And create another button called Select Search to select all items that match your search.



Double click the StateSearch textbox and add the following code to the Change Procedure

Private Sub StateSearch_Change()
    For i = 0 To StateList.ListCount - 1
        StringPos = InStr(1, StateList.List(i), StateSearch.Text, vbTextCompare)
        If StringPos <> 0 Then
            StateList.ListIndex = i
            StateList.Selected(StateList.ListIndex) = False
            StateSearchIndex = i + 1
            i = StateList.ListCount - 1
        End If
    Next
End Sub

What this does is that every time you change the content of the textbox it iterates thru all the checkbox checking if what you wrote matches any item on the list. If it matches, then the item is selected in the ListBox.




Double Click the Next Button and add the following code to the click Procedure

Private Sub nextButton_Click()
    NO_MORE_STATES = True    
    For i = StateSearchIndex To StateList.ListCount - 1
        StringPos = InStr(1, StateList.List(i), StateSearch.Text, vbTextCompare)
        If StringPos <> 0 Then
            NO_MORE_STATES = False
            StateList.ListIndex = i
            StateList.Selected(StateList.ListIndex) = False
            StateSearchIndex = i + 1
            i = StateList.ListCount - 1
        End If
    Next

    If StateSearchIndex = StateList.ListCount - 1 Or NO_MORE_STATES = True Then
        StateSearchIndex = 0
    End If
End Sub

When the Next button is clicked it goes to the next matching item in the list. When there are no more item matching it goes back to the first one and starts again.




Double Click the Select Search button and add the following code to the click Procedure

Private Sub SelectSearchButton_Click()
    For i = 0 To StateList.ListCount - 1
        StringPos = InStr(1, StateList.List(i), StateSearch.Text, vbTextCompare)
        If StringPos <> 0 Then
            StateList.ListIndex = i
            StateList.Selected(StateList.ListIndex) = True
        
        End If
    Next
End Sub

What this does is it checks all matching item of the List with the search Text.



Download the source code here