ComboBox with an Entry
| Chapter 10. Combo Boxes |

## ComboBox with an Entry

A `ComboBox` may contain an `Entry` widget for entering of arbitrary text, by specifying true for the constructor's `has_entry` parameter.

### The text column

So that the Entry can interact with the drop-down list of choices, you must specify which of your model columns is the text column, with `set_text_column()`. For instance:

    m_combo.set_text_column(m_columns.m_col_name);

When you select a choice from the drop-down menu, the value from this column will be placed in the `Entry`.

### The entry

Because the user may enter arbitrary text, an active model row isn't enough to tell us what text the user has inputted. Therefore, you should retrieve the `Entry` widget with the `ComboBoxEntry::get_entry()` method and call `get_text()` on that.

### Full Example

Figure 10.3. ComboBoxEntry

Source Code

File: `examplewindow.h` (For use with gtkmm 3, not gtkmm 2)

    #ifndef GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H
    #define GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H

    #include <gtkmm/window.h>
    #include <gtkmm/combobox.h>
    #include <gtkmm/liststore.h>

    class ExampleWindow : public Gtk::Window
    {
    public:
      ExampleWindow();
      virtual ~ExampleWindow();

    protected:
      //Signal handlers:
      void on_combo_changed();

      //Tree model columns:
      class ModelColumns : public Gtk::TreeModel::ColumnRecord
      {
      public:

        ModelColumns()
        { add(m_col_id); add(m_col_name); }

        Gtk::TreeModelColumn<Glib::ustring> m_col_id; //The data to choose - this must be text.
        Gtk::TreeModelColumn<Glib::ustring> m_col_name;
      };

      ModelColumns m_Columns;

      //Child widgets:
      Gtk::ComboBox m_Combo;
      Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::ListStore> m_refTreeModel;
    };

    #endif //GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H

File: `examplewindow.cc` (For use with gtkmm 3, not gtkmm 2)

    #include "examplewindow.h"
    #include <gtkmm/stock.h>
    #include <iostream>

    ExampleWindow::ExampleWindow()
    : m_Combo(true /* has_entry */)
    {
      set_title("ComboBox example");

      //Create the Tree model:
      //m_refTreeModel = Gtk::TreeStore::create(m_Columns);
      m_refTreeModel = Gtk::ListStore::create(m_Columns);
      m_Combo.set_model(m_refTreeModel);

      //Fill the ComboBox's Tree Model:
      Gtk::TreeModel::Row row = *(m_refTreeModel->append());
      row[m_Columns.m_col_id] = "1";
      row[m_Columns.m_col_name] = "Billy Bob";
      /*
      Gtk::TreeModel::Row childrow = *(m_refTreeModel->append(row.children()));
      childrow[m_Columns.m_col_id] = 11;
      childrow[m_Columns.m_col_name] = "Billy Bob Junior";

      childrow = *(m_refTreeModel->append(row.children()));
      childrow[m_Columns.m_col_id] = 12;
      childrow[m_Columns.m_col_name] = "Sue Bob";
      */

      row = *(m_refTreeModel->append());
      row[m_Columns.m_col_id] = "2";
      row[m_Columns.m_col_name] = "Joey Jojo";

      row = *(m_refTreeModel->append());
      row[m_Columns.m_col_id] = "3";
      row[m_Columns.m_col_name] = "Rob McRoberts";

      /*
      childrow = *(m_refTreeModel->append(row.children()));
      childrow[m_Columns.m_col_id] = 31;
      childrow[m_Columns.m_col_name] = "Xavier McRoberts";
      */

      //Add the model columns to the Combo (which is a kind of view),
      //rendering them in the default way:
      //This is automatically rendered when we use set_entry_text_column().
      //m_Combo.pack_start(m_Columns.m_col_id);
      m_Combo.pack_start(m_Columns.m_col_name);

      m_Combo.set_entry_text_column(m_Columns.m_col_id);

      //Add the ComboBox to the window.
      add(m_Combo);

      //Connect signal handler:
      m_Combo.signal_changed().connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this,
                  &ExampleWindow::on_combo_changed) );

      show_all_children();
    }

    ExampleWindow::~ExampleWindow()
    {
    }

    void ExampleWindow::on_combo_changed()
    {
      Gtk::Entry* entry = m_Combo.get_entry();
      //Note: to get changes only when the entry has been completed,
      //instead of on every key press, connect to Entry::signal_changed()
      //instead of ComboBoxEntry::signal_changed.

      if(entry)
      {
        std::cout << " ID=" << entry->get_text() << std::endl;
      }
    }

File: `main.cc` (For use with gtkmm 3, not gtkmm 2)

    #include "examplewindow.h"
    #include <gtkmm/main.h>

    int main(int argc, char *argv[])
    {
      Gtk::Main kit(argc, argv);

      ExampleWindow window;
      //Shows the window and returns when it is closed.
      Gtk::Main::run(window);

      return 0;
    }

### Simple Text Example

Figure 10.4. ComboBoxEntryText

Source Code

File: `examplewindow.h` (For use with gtkmm 3, not gtkmm 2)

    #ifndef GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H
    #define GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H

    #include <gtkmm/window.h>
    #include <gtkmm/comboboxtext.h>

    class ExampleWindow : public Gtk::Window
    {
    public:
      ExampleWindow();
      virtual ~ExampleWindow();

    protected:
      //Signal handlers:
      void on_combo_changed();

      //Child widgets:
      Gtk::ComboBoxText m_Combo;
    };

    #endif //GTKMM_EXAMPLEWINDOW_H

File: `examplewindow.cc` (For use with gtkmm 3, not gtkmm 2)

    #include "examplewindow.h"
    #include <gtkmm/stock.h>
    #include <iostream>

    ExampleWindow::ExampleWindow()
    : m_Combo(true /* has_entry */)
    {
      set_title("ComboBoxText example");

      //Fill the combo:
      m_Combo.append("something");
      m_Combo.append("something else");
      m_Combo.append("something or other");

      add(m_Combo);

      //Connect signal handler:
      m_Combo.signal_changed().connect(sigc::mem_fun(*this,
                  &ExampleWindow::on_combo_changed) );

      m_Combo.property_has_frame() = false;
      show_all_children();
    }

    ExampleWindow::~ExampleWindow()
    {
    }

    void ExampleWindow::on_combo_changed()
    {
      Glib::ustring text = m_Combo.get_active_text();
      if(!(text.empty()))
        std::cout << "Combo changed: " << text << std::endl;
    }

File: `main.cc` (For use with gtkmm 3, not gtkmm 2)

    #include "examplewindow.h"
    #include <gtkmm/main.h>

    int main(int argc, char *argv[])
    {
      Gtk::Main kit(argc, argv);

      ExampleWindow window;
      //Shows the window and returns when it is closed.
      Gtk::Main::run(window);

      return 0;
    }

Simple Text Example |  | Chapter 11. TextView