Tooltips for each ListBox Item in visual basic 6

[try.test.abc]

Can anybody Suggest How to add ToolTip In the Combox while It is droped down. So that when we move mouse on the drop down box we can see the combo box s item in the tooltip

[moa]

Your title says "listbox" while you question is concerning a "combobox" !!!
Now : it is possible to do it with a listbox and it is not with a combobox (for the simple reason that a listbox responds to the mouse-move event while a combobox does not ...)
So .... Is it a listbox or a combobox ?

[HanneSThEGreaT]

Yeah, there's a difference between ComboBox and ListBox

This is how to do it with a ListBox :

Option Explicit

Private Type POINTAPI
    X As Long
    Y As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function GetCursorPos Lib "user32" (lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function ScreenToClient Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Long) As Long

Private Const LB_ITEMFROMPOINT = &H1A9

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim iIndex As Integer
    
    For iIndex = 1 To 100
        List1.AddItem "List Item " & iIndex
    Next
End Sub

Private Sub List1_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
    Dim tPOINT As POINTAPI
    Dim iIndex As Long

    'get the Mouse Cursor Position
    Call GetCursorPos(tPOINT)
    'Convert the Coords to be Relative to the Listbox
    Call ScreenToClient(List1.hWnd, tPOINT)
    'Find which Item the Mouse is Over
    iIndex = SendMessage(List1.hWnd, LB_ITEMFROMPOINT, 0&, ByVal ((tPOINT.X And &HFF) Or (&H10000 * (tPOINT.Y And &HFF))))
    If iIndex >= 0 Then
        'Extract the List Index
        iIndex = iIndex And &HFF
        'set the Lists ToolTipText
        List1.ToolTipText = List1.List(iIndex)
    End If
End Sub

Now, if I were to do the same (well almost the same ) with the combobox :

Option Explicit

Private Type POINTAPI
    X As Long
    Y As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function GetCursorPos Lib "user32" (lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function ScreenToClient Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Long) As Long

Private Const LB_ITEMFROMPOINT = &H1A9
Const CB_SHOWDROPDOWN = &H14F

'to open cb list automatically
Sub ComboBoxOpenList(cbo As ComboBox, Optional showIt As Boolean = True)
    SendMessage cbo.hWnd, CB_SHOWDROPDOWN, showIt, ByVal 0&
End Sub

Private Sub Combo1_DropDown() 'drop down event
    Dim tPOINT As POINTAPI
    Dim iIndex As Long

    'get the Mouse Cursor Position
    Call GetCursorPos(tPOINT)
    'Convert the Coords to be Relative to the Listbox
    Call ScreenToClient(Combo1.hWnd, tPOINT)
    'Find which Item the Mouse is Over
    iIndex = SendMessage(Combo1.hWnd, LB_ITEMFROMPOINT, 0&, ByVal ((tPOINT.X And &HFF) Or (&H10000 * (tPOINT.Y And &HFF))))
    If iIndex >= 0 Then
        'Extract the List Index
        iIndex = iIndex And &HFF
        'set the Lists ToolTipText
        Combo1.ToolTipText = Combo1.List(iIndex)
    End If

End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim iIndex As Integer
    'Fill the List with Dummy Values
    For iIndex = 1 To 100
        Combo1.AddItem "Item " & iIndex
    Next
    ComboBoxOpenList Combo1, True 'automatically open dropdown list of combo
End Sub

The problem here is that it will ONLY show the tooltips when the list isn't dropped anymore.

[moa]

I have a different way to do it with a listbox (without Api)
It would be possible to do it with a ComboBox and Apis, but at a very high cost in terms of code and execution time !

[HanneSThEGreaT]

I have a different way to do it with a listbox (without Api)

Please do post

[moa]

Please do post

OK, I love the challenges
Back in about minutes, then (the time I need to be sure I am not wrong)

[moa]

Well...
It finaly took less time that what I thought :

Private h As Single

Private Sub Form_Activate()
  'All this in blue) is here only to make it easier for you to check
  'you can, for instance, change the fontsize
  List1.FontSize = 10
  For I = 0 To 40
    List1.AddItem I & "a"
  Next
  With Font
    Set Font = List1.Font
  End With
  h = TextHeight("aaa") * 1.02
End Sub

Private Sub List1_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
     where_am_i = List1.TopIndex + Int(Y / h)
     List1.ToolTipText = List1.List(where_am_i)
End Sub

What about the idea ?

[HanneSThEGreaT]

What about the idea ?

Nice approach!

[bushmobile]

if you're attempting to use the ToolTipText to show the full text of items wider than the dropdown, then I would recommend using CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH to change the width of the dropdown instead:

Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" ( _
    ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long

Private Const CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH As Long = &H160&

Private Sub Combo1_DropDown()
    Dim N As Long, lLen As Long, lLongest As Long
    With Combo1
        Set Me.Font = .Font
        For N = 0 To .ListCount - 1
            lLen = Me.TextWidth(.List(N))
            If lLen > lLongest Then lLongest = lLen
        Next N
        SendMessage .hwnd, CB_SETDROPPEDWIDTH, Me.ScaleX(lLongest, Me.ScaleMode, vbPixels) + 30, 0&
    End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim N As Long
    For N = 1 To 20
        Combo1.AddItem String$(40 * Rnd, "A")
    Next N
End Sub

obviously, depending on your circumstances, the code to determine the width should be just calculated once, rather than everytime it needs to drop down. The 30 in that Sub is also just a completely arbitrary number to allow for scrollbar / border (you could calculate it properly using GetSystemMetrics if you wished)

[HanneSThEGreaT]

Nicely done!

[moa]

It is definitely very very nice !

May I make a confession, now ?

The old man I am (I am really old) was on the point to :

- remind that a combobox is, finaly, nothing else but the combination of a textbox and a listbox
- then propose to combinate a textbox and a listbox and treats the listbox

I suppose one becomes lazzy when getting aged !....

[Scrapers〘N〙Bots]

Sorry to say but this method is BUGGY. It sometimes translates to the wrong list index. Try this one:

Top of Module ...

Private Type POINTAPI
                    X As Long
                    Y As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function ClientToScreen Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function LBItemFromPt Lib "COMCTL32.DLL" (ByVal hLB As Long, ByVal ptX As Long, ByVal ptY As Long, ByVal bAutoScroll As Long) As Long

Private Sub List1_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
On Error Resume Next

List1.ToolTipText = L.List(ItemUnderMouse(List1.hwnd, X, Y))
End Sub

Private Function ItemUnderMouse(ByVal list_hWnd As Long, ByVal X As Single, ByVal Y As Single)

Dim pt As POINTAPI:          pt.X = X \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelX:            pt.Y = Y \ Screen.TwipsPerPixelY
ClientToScreen list_hWnd, pt
ItemUnderMouse = LBItemFromPt(list_hWnd, pt.X, pt.Y, False)

End Function

Yeah, there's a difference between ComboBox and ListBox

This is how to do it with a ListBox :

Option Explicit

Private Type POINTAPI
    X As Long
    Y As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function GetCursorPos Lib "user32" (lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function ScreenToClient Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Long) As Long

Private Const LB_ITEMFROMPOINT = &H1A9

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim iIndex As Integer
    
    For iIndex = 1 To 100
        List1.AddItem "List Item " & iIndex
    Next
End Sub

Private Sub List1_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
    Dim tPOINT As POINTAPI
    Dim iIndex As Long

    'get the Mouse Cursor Position
    Call GetCursorPos(tPOINT)
    'Convert the Coords to be Relative to the Listbox
    Call ScreenToClient(List1.hWnd, tPOINT)
    'Find which Item the Mouse is Over
    iIndex = SendMessage(List1.hWnd, LB_ITEMFROMPOINT, 0&, ByVal ((tPOINT.X And &HFF) Or (&H10000 * (tPOINT.Y And &HFF))))
    If iIndex >= 0 Then
        'Extract the List Index
        iIndex = iIndex And &HFF
        'set the Lists ToolTipText
        List1.ToolTipText = List1.List(iIndex)
    End If
End Sub

Now, if I were to do the same (well almost the same ) with the combobox :

Option Explicit

Private Type POINTAPI
    X As Long
    Y As Long
End Type

Private Declare Function GetCursorPos Lib "user32" (lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function ScreenToClient Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Long) As Long

Private Const LB_ITEMFROMPOINT = &H1A9
Const CB_SHOWDROPDOWN = &H14F

'to open cb list automatically
Sub ComboBoxOpenList(cbo As ComboBox, Optional showIt As Boolean = True)
    SendMessage cbo.hWnd, CB_SHOWDROPDOWN, showIt, ByVal 0&
End Sub

Private Sub Combo1_DropDown() 'drop down event
    Dim tPOINT As POINTAPI
    Dim iIndex As Long

    'get the Mouse Cursor Position
    Call GetCursorPos(tPOINT)
    'Convert the Coords to be Relative to the Listbox
    Call ScreenToClient(Combo1.hWnd, tPOINT)
    'Find which Item the Mouse is Over
    iIndex = SendMessage(Combo1.hWnd, LB_ITEMFROMPOINT, 0&, ByVal ((tPOINT.X And &HFF) Or (&H10000 * (tPOINT.Y And &HFF))))
    If iIndex >= 0 Then
        'Extract the List Index
        iIndex = iIndex And &HFF
        'set the Lists ToolTipText
        Combo1.ToolTipText = Combo1.List(iIndex)
    End If

End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Dim iIndex As Integer
    'Fill the List with Dummy Values
    For iIndex = 1 To 100
        Combo1.AddItem "Item " & iIndex
    Next
    ComboBoxOpenList Combo1, True 'automatically open dropdown list of combo
End Sub

The problem here is that it will ONLY show the tooltips when the list isn't dropped anymore.

[DataMiser]

Another old thread dug up.

Question was asked 10 years ago. I think it safe to say that the questioner is no longer looking for the answer.

You really should look at the date on the thread and let those which have been dead for years stay dead.

[Scrapers〘N〙Bots]

What you are forgetting is the original poster is NOT the only one interested in the information. People show up from Google Searches looking for this information?? Yes?? No?? So until this website removes the page altogether the post is never dead

Another old thread dug up.

Question was asked 10 years ago. I think it safe to say that the questioner is no longer looking for the answer.

You really should look at the date on the thread and let those which have been dead for years stay dead.