phoenix_title wx.ComboCtrl

A combo control is a generic combobox that allows totally custom popup.

In addition it has other customization features. For instance, position and size of the dropdown button can be changed.

phoenix_title Setting Custom Popup for ComboCtrl

wx.ComboCtrl needs to be told somehow which control to use and this is done by SetPopupControl. However, we need something more than just a wx.Control in this method as, for example, we need to call SetStringValue(“initial text value”) and wx.Control doesn’t have such method. So we also need a wx.ComboPopup which is an interface which must be implemented by a control to be usable as a popup. We couldn’t derive wx.ComboPopup from wx.Control as this would make it impossible to have a class deriving from a wxWidgets control and from it, so instead it is just a mix-in. Here’s a minimal sample of wx.ListView popup:

"""
A simple test case for wx.ComboCtrl using a wx.ListCtrl for the popup
"""

import wx

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# This class is used to provide an interface between a ComboCtrl and the
# ListCtrl that is used as the popup for the combo widget.

class ListCtrlComboPopup(wx.ComboPopup):

    def __init__(self):
        wx.ComboPopup.__init__(self)
        self.lc = None

    def AddItem(self, txt):
        self.lc.InsertItem(self.lc.GetItemCount(), txt)

    def OnMotion(self, evt):
        item, flags = self.lc.HitTest(evt.GetPosition())
        if item >= 0:
            self.lc.Select(item)
            self.curitem = item

    def OnLeftDown(self, evt):
        self.value = self.curitem
        self.Dismiss()


    # The following methods are those that are overridable from the
    # ComboPopup base class.  Most of them are not required, but all
    # are shown here for demonstration purposes.

    # This is called immediately after construction finishes.  You can
    # use self.GetCombo if needed to get to the ComboCtrl instance.
    def Init(self):
        self.value = -1
        self.curitem = -1

    # Create the popup child control.  Return true for success.
    def Create(self, parent):
        self.lc = wx.ListCtrl(parent, style=wx.LC_LIST | wx.LC_SINGLE_SEL | wx.SIMPLE_BORDER)
        self.lc.Bind(wx.EVT_MOTION, self.OnMotion)
        self.lc.Bind(wx.EVT_LEFT_DOWN, self.OnLeftDown)
        return True

    # Return the widget that is to be used for the popup
    def GetControl(self):
        return self.lc

    # Called just prior to displaying the popup, you can use it to
    # 'select' the current item.
    def SetStringValue(self, val):
        idx = self.lc.FindItem(-1, val)
        if idx != wx.NOT_FOUND:
            self.lc.Select(idx)

    # Return a string representation of the current item.
    def GetStringValue(self):
        if self.value >= 0:
            return self.lc.GetItemText(self.value)
        return ""

    # Called immediately after the popup is shown
    def OnPopup(self):
        wx.ComboPopup.OnPopup(self)

    # Called when popup is dismissed
    def OnDismiss(self):
        wx.ComboPopup.OnDismiss(self)

    # This is called to custom paint in the combo control itself
    # (ie. not the popup).  Default implementation draws value as
    # string.
    def PaintComboControl(self, dc, rect):
        wx.ComboPopup.PaintComboControl(self, dc, rect)

    # Receives key events from the parent ComboCtrl.  Events not
    # handled should be skipped, as usual.
    def OnComboKeyEvent(self, event):
        wx.ComboPopup.OnComboKeyEvent(self, event)

    # Implement if you need to support special action when user
    # double-clicks on the parent wxComboCtrl.
    def OnComboDoubleClick(self):
        wx.ComboPopup.OnComboDoubleClick(self)

    # Return final size of popup. Called on every popup, just prior to OnPopup.
    # minWidth = preferred minimum width for window
    # prefHeight = preferred height. Only applies if > 0,
    # maxHeight = max height for window, as limited by screen size
    #   and should only be rounded down, if necessary.
    def GetAdjustedSize(self, minWidth, prefHeight, maxHeight):
        return wx.ComboPopup.GetAdjustedSize(self, minWidth, prefHeight, maxHeight)

    # Return true if you want delay the call to Create until the popup
    # is shown for the first time. It is more efficient, but note that
    # it is often more convenient to have the control created
    # immediately.
    # Default returns false.
    def LazyCreate(self):
        return wx.ComboPopup.LazyCreate(self)

Here’s how you would create and populate it in a dialog constructor:

comboCtrl = wx.ComboCtrl(self, wx.ID_ANY, "")

popupCtrl = ListViewComboPopup()

# It is important to call SetPopupControl() as soon as possible
comboCtrl.SetPopupControl(popupCtrl)

# Populate using wx.ListView methods
popupCtrl.InsertItem(popupCtrl.GetItemCount(), "First Item")
popupCtrl.InsertItem(popupCtrl.GetItemCount(), "Second Item")
popupCtrl.InsertItem(popupCtrl.GetItemCount(), "Third Item")

styles Window Styles

^^ This class supports the following styles:

  • wx.CB_READONLY: Text will not be editable.

  • wx.CB_SORT: Sorts the entries in the list alphabetically.

  • wx.TE_PROCESS_ENTER: The control will generate the event wxEVT_TEXT_ENTER (otherwise pressing Enter key is either processed internally by the control or used for navigation between dialog controls). Windows only.

  • wx.CC_SPECIAL_DCLICK: Double-clicking triggers a call to popup’s OnComboDoubleClick. Actual behaviour is defined by a derived class. For instance, wx.adv.OwnerDrawnComboBox will cycle an item. This style only applies if wx.CB_READONLY is used as well.

  • wx.CC_STD_BUTTON: Drop button will behave more like a standard push button. ^^

^^

events Events Emitted by this Class

Handlers bound for the following event types will receive one of the wx.CommandEvent parameters.

  • EVT_TEXT: Process a wxEVT_TEXT event, when the text changes.

  • EVT_TEXT_ENTER: Process a wxEVT_TEXT_ENTER event, when RETURN is pressed in the combo control.

  • EVT_COMBOBOX_DROPDOWN: Process a wxEVT_COMBOBOX_DROPDOWN event, which is generated when the popup window is shown (drops down).

  • EVT_COMBOBOX_CLOSEUP: Process a wxEVT_COMBOBOX_CLOSEUP event, which is generated when the popup window of the combo control disappears (closes up). You should avoid adding or deleting items in this event. ^^


class_hierarchy Class Hierarchy

Inheritance diagram for class ComboCtrl:

appearance Control Appearance


wxMSW

wxMSW

wxMAC

wxMAC

wxGTK

wxGTK


method_summary Methods Summary

__init__

Default constructor.

AnimateShow

This member function is not normally called in application code.

Copy

Copies the selected text to the clipboard.

Create

Creates the combo control for two-step construction.

Cut

Copies the selected text to the clipboard and removes the selection.

Dismiss

Dismisses the popup window.

DoSetPopupControl

This member function is not normally called in application code.

DoShowPopup

This member function is not normally called in application code.

EnablePopupAnimation

Enables or disables popup animation, if any, depending on the value of the argument.

GetBitmapDisabled

Returns disabled button bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

GetBitmapHover

Returns button mouse hover bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

GetBitmapNormal

Returns default button bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

GetBitmapPressed

Returns depressed button bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

GetButtonSize

Returns current size of the dropdown button.

GetClassDefaultAttributes

GetCustomPaintWidth

Returns custom painted area in control.

GetFeatures

Returns features supported by wx.ComboCtrl.

GetHint

Returns the current hint string.

GetInsertionPoint

Returns the insertion point for the combo control’s text field.

GetLastPosition

Returns the last position in the combo control text field.

GetMargins

Returns the margins used by the control.

GetPopupControl

Returns current popup interface that has been set with SetPopupControl .

GetPopupWindow

Returns popup window containing the popup control.

GetTextCtrl

Get the text control which is part of the combo control.

GetTextRect

Returns area covered by the text field (includes everything except borders and the dropdown button).

GetValue

Returns text representation of the current value.

HidePopup

Dismisses the popup window.

IsKeyPopupToggle

Returns True if given key combination should toggle the popup.

IsPopupShown

Returns True if the popup is currently shown.

IsPopupWindowState

Returns True if the popup window is in the given state.

OnButtonClick

Implement in a derived class to define what happens on dropdown button click.

Paste

Pastes text from the clipboard to the text field.

Popup

Shows the popup portion of the combo control.

PrepareBackground

Prepare background of combo control or an item in a dropdown list in a way typical on platform.

Remove

Removes the text between the two positions in the combo control text field.

Replace

Replaces the text between two positions with the given text, in the combo control text field.

SetButtonBitmaps

Sets custom dropdown button graphics.

SetButtonPosition

Sets size and position of dropdown button.

SetCustomPaintWidth

Set width, in pixels, of custom painted area in control without CB_READONLY style.

SetHint

Sets a hint shown in an empty unfocused combo control.

SetInsertionPoint

Sets the insertion point in the text field.

SetInsertionPointEnd

Sets the insertion point at the end of the combo control text field.

SetMainControl

Uses the given window instead of the default text control as the main window of the combo control.

SetMargins

Attempts to set the control margins.

SetPopupAnchor

Set side of the control to which the popup will align itself.

SetPopupControl

Set popup interface class derived from wx.ComboPopup.

SetPopupExtents

Extends popup size horizontally, relative to the edges of the combo control.

SetPopupMaxHeight

Sets preferred maximum height of the popup.

SetPopupMinWidth

Sets minimum width of the popup.

SetSelection

Selects the text between the two positions, in the combo control text field.

SetText

Sets the text for the text field without affecting the popup.

SetTextCtrlStyle

Set a custom window style for the embedded wx.TextCtrl.

SetValue

Sets the text for the combo control text field.

SetValueByUser

Changes value of the control as if user had done it by selecting an item from a combo box drop-down list.

ShouldDrawFocus

Returns True if focus indicator should be drawn in the control.

ShowPopup

Show the popup.

Undo

Undoes the last edit in the text field.

UseAltPopupWindow

Enable or disable usage of an alternative popup window, which guarantees ability to focus the popup control, and allows common native controls to function normally.


api Class API

class wx.ComboCtrl(Control, TextEntry)

Possible constructors:

ComboCtrl()

ComboCtrl(parent, id=ID_ANY, value="", pos=DefaultPosition,
          size=DefaultSize, style=0, validator=DefaultValidator,
          name=ComboBoxNameStr)

A combo control is a generic combobox that allows totally custom popup.


Methods

__init__(self, *args, **kw)

overload Overloaded Implementations:



__init__ (self)

Default constructor.



__init__ (self, parent, id=ID_ANY, value=””, pos=DefaultPosition, size=DefaultSize, style=0, validator=DefaultValidator, name=ComboBoxNameStr)

Constructor, creating and showing a combo control.

Parameters
  • parent (wx.Window) – Parent window. Must not be None.

  • id (wx.WindowID) – Window identifier. The value wx.ID_ANY indicates a default value.

  • value (string) – Initial selection string. An empty string indicates no selection.

  • pos (wx.Point) – Window position. If wx.DefaultPosition is specified then a default position is chosen.

  • size (wx.Size) – Window size. If wx.DefaultSize is specified then the window is sized appropriately.

  • style (long) – Window style. See wx.ComboCtrl.

  • validator (wx.Validator) – Window validator.

  • name (string) – Window name.

See also

Create , wx.Validator





AnimateShow(self, rect, flags)

This member function is not normally called in application code.

Instead, it can be implemented in a derived class to create a custom popup animation.

The parameters are the same as those for DoShowPopup .

Parameters
  • rect (wx.Rect) –

  • flags (int) –

Return type

bool

Returns

True if animation finishes before the function returns, False otherwise. In the latter case you need to manually call DoShowPopup after the animation ends.



Copy(self)

Copies the selected text to the clipboard.



Create(self, parent, id=ID_ANY, value="", pos=DefaultPosition, size=DefaultSize, style=0, validator=DefaultValidator, name=ComboBoxNameStr)

Creates the combo control for two-step construction.

Derived classes should call or replace this function. See wx.ComboCtrl for further details.

Parameters
Return type

bool



Cut(self)

Copies the selected text to the clipboard and removes the selection.



Dismiss(self)

Dismisses the popup window.

Notice that calling this function will generate a wxEVT_COMBOBOX_CLOSEUP event.

New in version 2.9.2.



DoSetPopupControl(self, popup)

This member function is not normally called in application code.

Instead, it can be implemented in a derived class to return default wx.ComboPopup, in case popup is None.

Parameters

popup (wx.ComboPopup) –

Note

If you have implemented OnButtonClick to do something else than show the popup, then DoSetPopupControl must always set popup to None.



DoShowPopup(self, rect, flags)

This member function is not normally called in application code.

Instead, it must be called in a derived class to make sure popup is properly shown after a popup animation has finished (but only if AnimateShow did not finish the animation within its function scope).

Parameters
  • rect (wx.Rect) – Position to show the popup window at, in screen coordinates.

  • flags (int) – Combination of any of the following: wx.ComboCtrl.ShowAbove , and wx.ComboCtrl.CanDeferShow .



EnablePopupAnimation(self, enable=True)

Enables or disables popup animation, if any, depending on the value of the argument.

Parameters

enable (bool) –



GetBitmapDisabled(self)

Returns disabled button bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

Return type

wx.Bitmap

Returns

The disabled state bitmap.



GetBitmapHover(self)

Returns button mouse hover bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

Return type

wx.Bitmap

Returns

The mouse hover state bitmap.



GetBitmapNormal(self)

Returns default button bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

Return type

wx.Bitmap

Returns

The normal state bitmap.



GetBitmapPressed(self)

Returns depressed button bitmap that has been set with SetButtonBitmaps .

Return type

wx.Bitmap

Returns

The depressed state bitmap.



GetButtonSize(self)

Returns current size of the dropdown button.

Return type

wx.Size



static GetClassDefaultAttributes(variant=WINDOW_VARIANT_NORMAL)
Parameters

variant (WindowVariant) –

Return type

wx.VisualAttributes



GetCustomPaintWidth(self)

Returns custom painted area in control.

Return type

int

See also

SetCustomPaintWidth .



static GetFeatures()

Returns features supported by wx.ComboCtrl.

If needed feature is missing, you need to instead use GenericComboCtrl, which however may lack a native look and feel (but otherwise sports identical API).

Return type

int

Returns

Value returned is a combination of the flags defined in wx.ComboCtrlFeatures.



GetHint(self)

Returns the current hint string.

See SetHint for more information about hints.

Return type

string

New in version 2.9.1.



GetInsertionPoint(self)

Returns the insertion point for the combo control’s text field.

Return type

long

Note

Under Windows, this function always returns 0 if the combo control doesn’t have the focus.



GetLastPosition(self)

Returns the last position in the combo control text field.

Return type

long



GetMargins(self)

Returns the margins used by the control.

The x field of the returned point is the horizontal margin and the y field is the vertical one.

Return type

wx.Point

New in version 2.9.1.

Note

If given margin cannot be accurately determined, its value will be set to -1.

See also

SetMargins



GetPopupControl(self)

Returns current popup interface that has been set with SetPopupControl .

Return type

wx.ComboPopup



GetPopupWindow(self)

Returns popup window containing the popup control.

Return type

wx.Window



GetTextCtrl(self)

Get the text control which is part of the combo control.

Return type

wx.TextCtrl



GetTextRect(self)

Returns area covered by the text field (includes everything except borders and the dropdown button).

Return type

wx.Rect



GetValue(self)

Returns text representation of the current value.

For writable combo control it always returns the value in the text field.

Return type

string



HidePopup(self, generateEvent=False)

Dismisses the popup window.

Parameters

generateEvent (bool) – Set this to True in order to generate wxEVT_COMBOBOX_CLOSEUP event.

Deprecated

Use Dismiss instead.



IsKeyPopupToggle(self, event)

Returns True if given key combination should toggle the popup.

Parameters

event (wx.KeyEvent) –

Return type

bool



IsPopupShown(self)

Returns True if the popup is currently shown.

Return type

bool



IsPopupWindowState(self, state)

Returns True if the popup window is in the given state.

Possible values are:

ComboCtrl.Hidden

Popup window is hidden.

ComboCtrl.Animating

Popup window is being shown, but the popup animation has not yet finished.

ComboCtrl.Visible

Popup window is fully visible.


Parameters

state (int) –

Return type

bool



OnButtonClick(self)

Implement in a derived class to define what happens on dropdown button click.

Default action is to show the popup.

Note

If you implement this to do something else than show the popup, you must then also implement DoSetPopupControl to always return None.



Paste(self)

Pastes text from the clipboard to the text field.



Popup(self)

Shows the popup portion of the combo control.

Notice that calling this function will generate a wxEVT_COMBOBOX_DROPDOWN event.

New in version 2.9.2.



PrepareBackground(self, dc, rect, flags)

Prepare background of combo control or an item in a dropdown list in a way typical on platform.

This includes painting the focus/disabled background and setting the clipping region.

Unless you plan to paint your own focus indicator, you should always call this in your wx.ComboPopup.PaintComboControl implementation. In addition, it sets pen and text colour to what looks good and proper against the background.

flags: wx.RendererNative flags: wx.CONTROL_ISSUBMENU: is drawing a list item instead of combo control wx.CONTROL_SELECTED: list item is selected wx.CONTROL_DISABLED: control/item is disabled

Parameters


Remove(self, frm, to)

Removes the text between the two positions in the combo control text field.

Parameters
  • frm (long) –

  • to (long) – The last position.

The first position.



Replace(self, frm, to, text)

Replaces the text between two positions with the given text, in the combo control text field.

Parameters
  • frm (long) –

  • to (long) – The second position.

  • text (string) – The text to insert.

The first position.



SetButtonBitmaps(self, bmpNormal, pushButtonBg=False, bmpPressed=BitmapBundle(), bmpHover=BitmapBundle(), bmpDisabled=BitmapBundle())

Sets custom dropdown button graphics.

Parameters
  • bmpNormal (wx.BitmapBundle) – Default button image.

  • pushButtonBg (bool) – If True, blank push button background is painted below the image.

  • bmpPressed (wx.BitmapBundle) – Depressed button image.

  • bmpHover (wx.BitmapBundle) – Button image when mouse hovers above it. This should be ignored on platforms and themes that do not generally draw different kind of button on mouse hover.

  • bmpDisabled (wx.BitmapBundle) – Disabled button image.



SetButtonPosition(self, width=-1, height=-1, side=RIGHT, spacingX=0)

Sets size and position of dropdown button.

Parameters
  • width (int) – Button width. Value = 0 specifies default.

  • height (int) – Button height. Value = 0 specifies default.

  • side (int) – Indicates which side the button will be placed. Value can be wx.LEFT or wx.RIGHT.

  • spacingX (int) – Horizontal spacing around the button. Default is 0.



SetCustomPaintWidth(self, width)

Set width, in pixels, of custom painted area in control without CB_READONLY style.

In read-only wx.adv.OwnerDrawnComboBox, this is used to indicate area that is not covered by the focus rectangle.

Parameters

width (int) –



SetHint(self, hint)

Sets a hint shown in an empty unfocused combo control.

Notice that hints are known as cue banners under MSW or placeholder strings under macOS.

Parameters

hint (string) –

Return type

bool

New in version 2.9.1.



SetInsertionPoint(self, pos)

Sets the insertion point in the text field.

Parameters

pos (long) – The new insertion point.



SetInsertionPointEnd(self)

Sets the insertion point at the end of the combo control text field.



SetMainControl(self, win)

Uses the given window instead of the default text control as the main window of the combo control.

By default, combo controls without CB_READONLY style create a wx.TextCtrl which shows the current value and allows to edit it. This method allows to use some other window instead of this wx.TextCtrl.

This method can be called after creating the combo fully, however in this case a wx.TextCtrl is unnecessarily created just to be immediately destroyed when it’s replaced by a custom window. If you wish to avoid this, you can use the following approach, also shown in the combo sample:

# Create the combo control using its default ctor.
combo = wx.ComboCtrl()

# Create the custom main control using its default ctor too.
someMainWindow = SomeWindow()

# Set the custom main control before creating the combo.
combo.SetMainControl(someMainWindow)

# And only create it now: wx.TextCtrl won't be unnecessarily
# created because the combo already has a main window.
combo.Create(panel, wx.ID_ANY, "")

# Finally create the main window itself, now that its parent was
# created.
someMainWindow.Create(combo, ...)

Note that when a custom main window is used, none of the methods of this class inherited from wx.TextEntry, such as SetValue , Replace , SetInsertionPoint etc do anything and simply return.

Parameters

win (wx.Window) –

New in version 4.1/wxWidgets-3.1.6.



SetMargins(self, *args, **kw)

Attempts to set the control margins.

When margins are given as wx.Point, x indicates the left and y the top margin. Use -1 to indicate that an existing value should be used.

Returns

True if setting of all requested margins was successful.

New in version 2.9.1.

overload Overloaded Implementations:



SetMargins (self, pt)

Parameters

pt (wx.Point) –

Return type

bool



SetMargins (self, left, top=-1)

Parameters
  • left (int) –

  • top (int) –

Return type

bool





SetPopupAnchor(self, anchorSide)

Set side of the control to which the popup will align itself.

Valid values are LEFT , RIGHT and 0. The default value 0 means that the most appropriate side is used (which, currently, is always LEFT ).

Parameters

anchorSide (int) –



SetPopupControl(self, popup)

Set popup interface class derived from wx.ComboPopup.

This method should be called as soon as possible after the control has been created, unless OnButtonClick has been overridden.

Parameters

popup (wx.ComboPopup) –



SetPopupExtents(self, extLeft, extRight)

Extends popup size horizontally, relative to the edges of the combo control.

Parameters
  • extLeft (int) – How many pixel to extend beyond the left edge of the control. Default is 0.

  • extRight (int) – How many pixel to extend beyond the right edge of the control. Default is 0.

Note

Popup minimum width may override arguments. It is up to the popup to fully take this into account.



SetPopupMaxHeight(self, height)

Sets preferred maximum height of the popup.

Parameters

height (int) –

Note

Value -1 indicates the default.



SetPopupMinWidth(self, width)

Sets minimum width of the popup.

If wider than combo control, it will extend to the left.

Parameters

width (int) –

Note

Value -1 indicates the default. Also, popup implementation may choose to ignore this.



SetSelection(self, frm, to)

Selects the text between the two positions, in the combo control text field.

Parameters
  • frm (long) –

  • to (long) – The second position.

The first position.



SetText(self, value)

Sets the text for the text field without affecting the popup.

Thus, unlike SetValue , it works equally well with combo control using CB_READONLY style.

Parameters

value (string) –



SetTextCtrlStyle(self, style)

Set a custom window style for the embedded wx.TextCtrl.

Usually you will need to use this during two-step creation, just before Create . For example:

comboCtrl = wx.ComboCtrl()

# Let's make the text right-aligned
comboCtrl.SetTextCtrlStyle(wx.TE_RIGHT)

comboCtrl.Create(parent, wx.ID_ANY, "")
Parameters

style (int) –



SetValue(self, value)

Sets the text for the combo control text field.

Parameters

value (string) –

Note

For a combo control with CB_READONLY style the string must be accepted by the popup (for instance, exist in the dropdown list), otherwise the call to SetValue is ignored.



SetValueByUser(self, value)

Changes value of the control as if user had done it by selecting an item from a combo box drop-down list.

Parameters

value (string) –



ShouldDrawFocus(self)

Returns True if focus indicator should be drawn in the control.

Return type

bool



ShowPopup(self)

Show the popup.

Deprecated

Use Popup instead.



Undo(self)

Undoes the last edit in the text field.

Windows only.



UseAltPopupWindow(self, enable=True)

Enable or disable usage of an alternative popup window, which guarantees ability to focus the popup control, and allows common native controls to function normally.

This alternative popup window is usually a wx.Dialog, and as such, when it is shown, its parent top-level window will appear as if the focus has been lost from it.

Parameters

enable (bool) –


Properties

BitmapDisabled

See GetBitmapDisabled



BitmapHover

See GetBitmapHover



BitmapNormal

See GetBitmapNormal



BitmapPressed

See GetBitmapPressed



ButtonSize

See GetButtonSize



CustomPaintWidth

See GetCustomPaintWidth and SetCustomPaintWidth



Hint

See GetHint and SetHint



InsertionPoint

See GetInsertionPoint and SetInsertionPoint



LastPosition

See GetLastPosition



Margins

See GetMargins and SetMargins



PopupControl

See GetPopupControl and SetPopupControl



PopupWindow

See GetPopupWindow



TextCtrl

See GetTextCtrl



TextRect

See GetTextRect



Value

See GetValue and SetValue