| The Basics > Specifying a Data Source > What is Bound Mode? |
When the DataMode property of a TDBList or TDBCombo control is set to the default value of 0 - Bound, the control communicates directly with an intrinsic or external data control to retrieve and update data. If you are using a data source that is supported by the Visual Basic built-in Data control, the Remote Data Control (RDC), the ADO Data Control, or the Data Environment designer, then bound mode is your best option. Simply configure the data control as you normally would, then attach it to the RowSource property of a TDBList or TDBCombo control at design time. If you are using an OLE DB-compliant data source, you may also need to set the DataMember property to specify a database table or query.
Note that the DataSource property is used to specify the data source that will be updated when the user selects an item from the list. It is not used to populate the control itself.
For more information on using True DBList in bound mode, see Bound Mode.