Text Box Arrays

Question

Visual Basic 6 had the Text Box Array that worked great. It no longer exists  (in the same form) in either Visual Basic 20085 or 2010.  I know that there are work-arounds that emulate the Text Box array but these are certainly not as easy to use as the version 6 Text Box Array.

In Visual Basic 2010 there is a tool box item that can be added, called Text Box Array. However, this does not place a Text Box on the form and I can't find any explanation of how to use it.

Can anyone tell me what adding this to a form accomplishes and how to use it?

 

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sirmilt

Answer 1

sirMIlt,

The way the the textbox array like it was as an automatically feature for creating it in the designer of the windows forms,  does not exist anymore. But it is improved

You can make it simply by.

Private myTextBoxArray as TextBox()

And then in the method which handles the form load event

myTextBoxArray = {Textbox1, Textbox2, Texbox3}

But currently you can use it also for an array of all kind of controls which was impossible with VB6

 

 

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Success
Cor

Answer 2

One thing I have done is that I gave them a 'same' tag in the properties.

 

Then looped through the controls on the form and built my array that way.

 

 

Answer 3

Hello,

hiere is a similar code from me. Uses Textboxes which are dynamically created at runtime into an array of textbox.

Perhaps may be helpful.

regards Ellen

 

code:

Public Class Form1

  Private tb(9, 9) As TextBox

  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _

  Handles MyBase.Load



    For i = 0 To 9

      For j = 0 To 9

        tb(i, j) = New TextBox

        tb(i, j).Name = String.Format("box{0}{1}", i.ToString, j.ToString)

        tb(i, j).Text = i.ToString & ">" & j.ToString

        tb(i, j).Size = New Size(40, 20)

        tb(i, j).Location = New Point((40 * i) + 1, 21 * j)

        tb(i, j).BorderStyle = BorderStyle.Fixed3D

        Me.Controls.Add(tb(i, j))

      Next j

    Next i

  End Sub

End Class

 

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Ich benutze/ I'm using VB2008 & VB2010

Answer 4

Thanks to both of you for the quick answers. What confused me was the 'Text Box Array' that you can add from  the Tool box items.  Does it serve any purpose? Is it necessary or even desired in order to follow your simple, but excellent , suggestions?

Milt

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sirmilt

Answer 5

Is this an upgraded project from VB6 to VB 2008 (then upgraded to VB 2010)? In this case their might still be the item in the Toolbox. The full name is Microsoft.VisualBasic.Compatibility.VB6.TextBoxArray and shouldn't be used in new projects anymore.

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Armin

Answer 6

Thank you all for the help. I just got around to trying to insert the textbox array into my project and have a problem.

This code:

   Private txtTrackArray As TextBox

    Private Sub frmCollectionsCDs_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load

        txtTrackArray = {txtTrack1, txtTrack2, txtTrack3, txtTrack4, txtTrack5, txtTrack6, txtTrack7, txtTrack8, txtTrack9, txtTrack10, txtTrack11, txtTrack12, txtTrack13, txtTrack14, txtTrack15}

Produces the error:

Value of type '1-dimensional array of System.Windows.Forms.TextBox' cannot be converted to 'System.Windows.Forms.TextBox'.

This code:

Private txtTrackArray As TextBox

    Private Sub frmCollectionsCDs_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load

        txtTrackArray = (txtTrack1, txtTrack2, txtTrack3, txtTrack4, txtTrack5, txtTrack6, txtTrack7, txtTrack8, txtTrack9, txtTrack10, txtTrack11, txtTrack12, txtTrack13, txtTrack14, txtTrack15)

Produces the error:

  ')' expected.

If I add the second close paren at the end. the error remains but the pointer is at the comma after txtTrack1, which would seam to indicate something, but I can't figure out what.

Milt

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sirmilt

Answer 7

You need to indicate that you want an array by using parentheses:

Private txtTrackArray() As TextBox

If you put Option Strict On at the very top of the script, it might point out errors like that for you.

HTH,

Andrew

Answer 8

Hi again

This subject really has me baffled. Cor's suggested code seemed to do the trick...but throws an error when running. Here's my code:

Under the class I added this code:

 Private txtTrackArray() As TextBox

Since i plan to use this array several times, I added the following to the form load:

 txtTrackArray = {txtTrack1, txtTrack2, txtTrack3, txtTrack4, txtTrack5, txtTrack6, txtTrack7, txtTrack8, txtTrack9, txtTrack10, txtTrack11, txtTrack12, txtTrack13, txtTrack14, txtTrack15}

I wanted to check and make sure that at least one of the items in the array had an entry, or all were empty so I added this code"

            Dim i As Integer = 0

            Dim n As Integer = 0

            For i = 1 To 15

                If txtTrackArray(i).Text <> Nothing Then n = n + 1

            Next

I followed the execution and this error at 15:

Index was outside the bounds of the array.

Milt

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sirmilt

Answer 9

Arrays in VB.Net start at index number 0 and not 1. So to process all 15 of them you need

For i = 0 To 14

or

For i = 1 To txtTrackArray.Length - 1

Answer 10

For i = 1 To txtTrackArray.Length - 1

I think you meant to type For i = 0 To txtTrackArray.Length - 1

--
Andrew

Answer 11

For i = 1 To txtTrackArray.Length - 1

I think you meant to type For i = 0 To txtTrackArray.Length - 1

--
Andrew

Oops. You're right of course. Thanks for pointing that out.

Answer 12

Thank you all for the help,  the fact that arrays start with 0 completely slipped my mind, until  about 3AM last night.

Using the track length to test for an empty text box is something I hadn't thought of. it too works fine.

Milt

 

 

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sirmilt