Selecting the First Item in the ListBox on Your Microsoft Access Form

Provided by: FMS Development Team

Rather than not selecting a value for list box controls or setting a specific default value, you can set it to the first value in the list. This lets your list manage what's selected and will always be correct regardless if the list of options changes.

You can programmatically select the first item in the list by adding this code to the form's Form_Open event.

Here's an example for a list box named lstBox:

If IsNull(Me.lstBox) Then
  Me.lstBox = Me.lstBox.ItemData(0)
End If

IsNull is used to avoid setting this value if there's an existing value.

For more details, visit Creating Cascading Combo Boxes and List Boxes on Microsoft Access Forms

Resources for Microsoft Access Combo Boxes and Forms

• Top Five Tips for Using Combo Boxes on Microsoft Access Forms
• Creating Cascading Combo Boxes and List Boxes on Microsoft Access Forms
• Tips and Techniques for Using and Validating Microsoft Access Combo Boxes
• Synchronize Two Related Subforms on a Microsoft Access Form
• Using Combo Boxes to Auto-Fill City and State from USPS Zip Code Database
• Microsoft Access Form Tips and Avoiding Common Mistakes
• Microsoft Access Developer and Programming Help Center