Glenn -
I see your point. One factor I didn't mention is that I don't want users to add entries to the list permanently. (The system administrator can do this for those which are frequently used.) Instead, the entry they add will be stored in the ControlSource field but will not be available as a dropdown choice when they move on to the next record. The basis for this is that a very small list of entries (maybe four "standard" entries) will account for 90% of the data. But the other 10% might comprise of 50 different text strings. Does knowing this modify your idea?
zahid

>Hello Zahid,
>
>Based upon your experience with your own users, it would seem practical to forego the Combo control for two separate controls. Use one for adding new entries into the "list" (Textbox) and one for selecting from the "list" (Combo type2).
>
>
>>We have a fairly large application which includes a ton of comboboxes whose Style property is set to 2 ("Dropdown List"). Now I have a new field for which I think the best user interface is a Style 1 ("Dropdown Combo") combobox. This combobox will have a few "standard" entries, but the user will also be able to type their own entry.
>>
>>My concern is that our users (many of whom are computer newbies), not used to being able to type in a combobox, might choose one of the "standard" entries rather than typing something more accurate when appropriate. One application I saw used blue "elephant ears" (something like parentheses which were colored in) around the combobox control to differentiate this combobox from others. Another option is a tooltip that says (essentially), "Select an option or type your own!"
>>
>>Does anyone have any other ideas on how to do this?
>>zahid