Hiding an ID field in a drop-down list

How to display an ID field in a closed combo box but hide it in a drop-down list.

Q:  Rich writes that he needs to display an ID field in a closed combo box, but doesn’t want it to appear in the drop-down list.  The field is the first one in the combo box’s row source, and it is the bound field.

A:  This can be done by setting the column width for the first column of the combo box to a very small width – say .05 in.  The column will be so narrow you can’t see it in the drop-down list, but since it is the bound field, the ID will show in the combo box once it is closed.