Microsoft KB Archive/227178

Knowledge Base

OL2000: How to Sort a List Box or Combo Box

Article ID: 227178

Article Last Modified on 11/23/2006

---

APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Outlook 2000 Standard Edition

---

This article was previously published under Q227178

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Outlook, there is no direct, or built-in, way to sort the contents of a list box or combo box control. This article provides two examples that use Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) code to sort information.

MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: For simplicity, the term list box may be used to denote either a list box or a combo box control.

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

Using the Items.Sort Method

This method assumes that you are populating the list box with information from items in an Outlook folder. If so, you can use the Items.Sort method to sort the items based on a particular field, to loop through those sorted items, and to insert the values of the field into the list box.

This example may add a list box to a Task form and populate the list box with contacts from the default Contacts folder. The contacts may be sorted by the Full Name field.

1. Open a new Task item.
2. On the Tools menu, click Forms, and then click Design This Form.
3. Click the (P.2) tab.
4. On the Form menu, click Control Toolbox. On the Control Toolbox, click and drag a ListBox onto the form.
5. Right-click the list box and then click Properties. On the Value page, click New....Type TestLB for the name and click OK. Click OK again.
6. On the Form menu, click View Code.

7. In the Script Editor, type the following VBScript code:
   

   Sub Item_Open()
   
      Set objFormPage = Item.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("P.2")
      Set objListBox = objFormPage.Controls("ListBox1")
    
      Set objNS = Application.GetNamespace("MAPI")<BR/>
      ' Get the default Contacts folder
      Set objConFolder = objNS.GetDefaultFolder(10) ' olFolderContacts
   
      ' Get the items in the folder
      Set colConItems = objConFolder.Items
   
      ' Create a Restrict filter
      strFilter = "[FullName] <> " & Chr(34) & Chr(34)
   
      ' Just get those contacts with a Full Name
      Set colResItems = colConItems.Restrict(strFilter)
   
      ' Sort the contacts based on FullName
      colResItems.Sort "[FullName]"
   
      ' Loop through all of the sorted contacts
      For Each objItem in colResItems
         ' Add the name to the listbox
         objListBox.AddItem objItem.FullName
      Next
      ' Loop through all of the sorted contacts
      For Each objItem in colResItems
         ' Add the name to the listbox and ignore distribution lists
         If Left(objItem.MessageClass, 11) = "IPM.Contact" Then
            objListBox.AddItem objItem.FullName
         End If
      Next
   
   End Sub
                       

8. On the Form menu, click Run this Form.
9. Click the P.2 page of the form.

The Item_Open event may run, and then the VBScript code may sort the contacts and load the list box on the P.2 page.

Use a Sorting Algorithm

Sort algorithms can be used to sort any list. In the following example, the values in the list box are predefined and sorted using the Bubble Sort algorithm. Note that these values could also be retrieved from another source, such as an external database application.

1. On the Tools menu, click Forms, and then click Design a Form.
2. In the Standard Forms Library, click Message, and then click Open.
3. Click the (P.2) tab.
4. On the Form menu, click Control Toolbox. On the Control Toolbox, click and drag a ListBox onto the form.
5. Right-click the list box, and then click Properties. On the Value page, click New.... Type TestLB for the name, and click OK. In the Possible Values field, type Dog;Cat;Mouse;Horse;Pig;Cow;Chicken;Rabbit, and then click OK.
6. On the Control Toolbox, click and drag a CommandButton onto the form.
7. Right-click the command button, and then click Properties. Click the Display tab, type Sort for the Caption, and then click OK.
8. On the Form menu, click View Code.

9. In the Script Editor, type the following VBScript code:
   

   Sub CommandButton1_Click()
      Dim strArray(8)
   
      Set FormPage = Item.GetInspector.ModifiedFormPages("P.2")
      Set ListBox1 = FormPage.Controls("ListBox1")
   
      For i = 0 to 7
         strArray(i) = ListBox1.List(i)
      Next
   
      Sort strArray, ListBox1
   
   End Sub
   
   Sub Sort(inpArray(), inpList)
      Dim intRet
      Dim intCompare
      Dim intLoopTimes
      Dim strTemp
   
      For intLoopTimes = 1 To UBound(inpArray)
         For intCompare = LBound(inpArray) To UBound(inpArray) - 1
            intRet = StrComp(inpArray(intCompare), _
            inpArray(intCompare + 1), vbTextCompare)
            If intRet = 1 Then
               ' String1 is greater than String2
               strTemp = inpArray(intCompare)
               inpArray(intCompare) = inpArray(intCompare + 1)
               inpArray(intCompare + 1) = strTemp
            End If
         Next
      Next
   
      inpList.Clear
   
      For intCompare = 1 To UBound(inpArray)
         inpList.AddItem inpArray(intCompare)
      Next
   
   End Sub
                       

10. On the Form menu, click Run This Form.
11. Click the P.2 tab, and click the Sort button to sort the list box.

REFERENCES

For additional information about available resources and answers to commonly asked questions about Microsoft Outlook 2000 solutions, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

146636 OL2000: Questions About Custom Forms and Outlook Solutions

Additional query words: OutSol OutSol2000

Keywords: kbhowto kbprogramming KB227178

---

Send feedback to Microsoft

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.