docs: public int valueToIndex(Object value)
      {
          if (value != null)
              if (!(value instanceof String))
                  value = value.toString();
          if ((m_record != null) && (m_strIndexValue != null))
          {
              try   {
                  FieldTable table = m_record.getTable();
                  for (int iIndex = 0; ; iIndex++)
                  {
                      if (table.get(iIndex) == null)  // I use get, so the index matches the index of JComboBox
                          break;
                      FieldInfo field = m_record.getField(m_strIndexValue);
                      if (field == null)
                          field = m_record.getField(0);
                      String strValue = field.getString();
                      if ((strValue != null) && (strValue.length() > 0))
                          if (strValue.equals(value))
                              return iIndex + 1;
                  }
              } catch (Exception ex)  {
                  ex.printStackTrace();
              }
          }
          else
          {
              this.setSelectedItem(value);
              if (this.getSelectedIndex() != -1)
                  return this.getSelectedIndex();
          }
          return 0;
      }