procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
  si: TSearchListItem;
begin
  // initialize the search edit
  AdvSearchEditEditLink1.Columns.Add;
  AdvSearchEditEditLink1.CategoryButton.Visible := false;
  AdvSearchEditEditLink1.SearchButton.Visible := false;

 // tag holds the unique value
  si := AdvSearchEditEditLink1.Items.Add;
  si.Captions[0] := ''BMW'';
  si.Tag := 1;

  si := AdvSearchEditEditLink1.Items.Add;
  si.Captions[0] := ''Mercedes'';
  si.Tag := 2;

  si := AdvSearchEditEditLink1.Items.Add;
  si.Captions[0] := ''Audi'';
  si.Tag := 3;
end;

// use the OnGetEditorType event to specify the TAdvSearchEditEditLink as inplace editor:

procedure TForm1.AdvStringGrid1GetEditorType(Sender: TObject; ACol,
  ARow: Integer; var AEditor: TEditorType);
begin
  AEditor := edCustom;
  AdvStringGrid1.EditLink := AdvSearchEditEditLink1;
end;


// retrieve the unique ID of the selected item in the OnCellValidate event:
procedure TForm1.AdvStringGrid1CellValidate(Sender: TObject; ACol,
  ARow: Integer; var Value: string; var Valid: Boolean);
var
  index,t: integer;
begin
  index := (AdvSearchEditEditLink1.GetEditControl as TAdvSearchEdit).SearchList.ItemIndex;
  t := (AdvSearchEditEditLink1.GetEditControl as TAdvSearchEdit).Items[index].Tag;

  // the t variable holds the unique ID of the selected item via the TAdvSearchEdit
end;