I have a drop down list that is showing me a code and the full name - the code goes in the active field and a look up puts the full name in another field.

Because the codes are different lengths (they're actually nicknames) the drop down is not nicely and neatly aligned where the second value is listed.

Is there any way of altering this by formatting the drop down list (or otherwise)?

No.

However you can change the value list to only display the second field.

You could create a calculation which truncates or adds spaces onto the 'code' to make it a fixed length. For example, to make the code 6 characters long use:

NewCode = Left ( Code & "      " ; 6)

Then use NewCode in your drop-down list instead of Code, and apply a fixed width font, like Courier.

Excellent solution - although the font makes me feel like a failure

Oh well. Maybe life won't be so bad with Verdana or Menlo.

theyre not fixed width are they?

Oops. I meant Monaco and Menlo. They are fixed width according to /Applications/Font Book.

maybe theyre worse