# Bind MultiSelect to a Data Source

Get started with MultiSelect, the WinForms control that provides the ease of selecting multiple objects from a list/collection. See more in documentation here.

## Content



To bind MultiSelect to a data source, follow these steps:

1.  Create a connection string and fetch data from a database to a data set. **vbnet**
    
    ```vbnet
    Private Shared Function GetConnectionString() As String
        Dim conn As String = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\Users\...\Common\C1NWind.mdb;"
        Return String.Format(conn)
    End Function
    Private Function GetDataSource(ByVal connectionString As String) As DataTable
        'set up connection string
        Dim conn As String = GetConnectionString()
        'set up SQL statement
        Dim rs As String = connectionString
        'retrieve data into DataSet
        Dim da As OleDbDataAdapter = New OleDbDataAdapter(rs, conn)
        Dim ds As DataSet = New DataSet()
        da.Fill(ds)
        'return data table
        Return ds.Tables(0)
    End Function
    ```
    
    **csharp**
    
    ```csharp
    static string GetConnectionString()
    {
          string conn = @"Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\Users\...\Common\C1NWind.mdb;";
          return string.Format(conn);
    }
    DataTable GetDataSource(string connectionString)
    {
          // set up connection string
          string conn = GetConnectionString();
          // set up SQL statement
          string rs = connectionString;
         // retrieve data into DataSet
         OleDbDataAdapter da = new OleDbDataAdapter(rs, conn);
         DataSet ds = new DataSet();
         da.Fill(ds);
         // return data table
         return ds.Tables[0];
    }
    ```
    
2.  Set the [DataSource](/componentone/docs/win/online-multiselect/) and [DisplayMemberPath](/componentone/docs/win/online-multiselect/) properties of the MultiSelect control. **vbnet**
    
    ```vbnet
    Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        C1MultiSelect1.BindingInfo.DataSource = GetDataSource("Select * from Employees ")
        C1MultiSelect1.BindingInfo.DataMember = "EmployeeID"
        C1MultiSelect1.BindingInfo.DisplayMemberPath = "FirstName"
    End Sub
    ```
    
    **csharp**
    
    ```csharp
    private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
       c1MultiSelect1.BindingInfo.DataSource = GetDataSource("Select * from Employees ");
       c1MultiSelect1.BindingInfo.DisplayMemberPath = "FirstName";
    }
    ```