How to get instance of control by name

Hi,

imagine having an INI-file with entries like:

# key=Control / value=Text property of control
controlA=bla bla bla
controlB=bla bla bla

controlA and controlB are different controls of types like TextBox, etc.

Closing form will write INI-file, storing control names and text property of
these
Loading form will read INI-file and set text value of corresponding control

quite a simple task, if you'll do it as follows:

....

switch (iniControl)
{
case "controlA" :
controlA.Text = iniValue;
break;
...
}

...

But what about a more generic solution?

Assuming that the key-value of INI-file is a known control, an instance
within the form, what about a solution like:

- get instance of the control by its name
- set value from INI-file to Text-property

Tried to solve this by using reflection - something like
GetType(iniControl), but never suceeded.

What do you think how this could be solved?

Thanks and regards - Jari

Javier
Fri Feb 27 01:38:38 CST 2004

this.Controls.FindByName("controlA").GetType();

Good luck

Javier Campos

Rigga
Fri Feb 27 02:22:13 CST 2004

Hi,

The way I'd do it is ..

First either read your ini file into a hashtable or place all of your
controls into a hashtable, so that you have the Name as the key to the
object.

Then read down the other one and get the key / object from the hashtable and
set the value.

Like below, and yes I know this is only seudo code.

LoadEvent Sub
For each textValue in .ini file
Hashtable.Add(textValue, ControlName)
End for

For each ctrl as Control in Me.Controls
If HashTable.Contains(ctrl.Name) Then
ctrl.Text = Cstr(Hashtable(ctrl.Name))
End if
End For

End Sub

I'm sure there are loads of other ways to do this, and no doubt, you'll get
a few more replies with differing methods by the end of the day.

but either way, HTH.
Rigga.

"Jaroslav Jakes" <jjakes@eh-services.ch> wrote in message
news:OOzVO$P$DHA.1036@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> imagine having an INI-file with entries like:
>
> # key=Control / value=Text property of control
> controlA=bla bla bla
> controlB=bla bla bla
>
> controlA and controlB are different controls of types like TextBox, etc.
>
> Closing form will write INI-file, storing control names and text property
of
> these
> Loading form will read INI-file and set text value of corresponding
control
>
> quite a simple task, if you'll do it as follows:
>
> ....
>
> switch (iniControl)
> {
> case "controlA" :
> controlA.Text = iniValue;
> break;
> ...
> }
>
> ...
>
> But what about a more generic solution?
>
> Assuming that the key-value of INI-file is a known control, an instance
> within the form, what about a solution like:
>
> - get instance of the control by its name
> - set value from INI-file to Text-property
>
> Tried to solve this by using reflection - something like
> GetType(iniControl), but never suceeded.
>
> What do you think how this could be solved?
>
> Thanks and regards - Jari
>
>

hirf-spam-me-here
Fri Feb 27 08:47:05 CST 2004

* "Javier Campos" <jcl.remove-this@vmslabs.andthis.com> scripsit:
> this.Controls.FindByName("controlA").GetType();

... won't work for Windows Forms.

--
Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]
<http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
Website Address Changed!

Stoitcho
Fri Feb 27 09:06:48 CST 2004

Hi folks,

Javier, there is no FindByName method in the control collection.
Actually Name property is not guarantied to be set. If you create a control
dynamically in the code it might have no name set.

IMHO Rigga's suggestion could be a way to go

--
B\rgds
100

"Javier Campos" <jcl.remove-this@vmslabs.andthis.com> wrote in message
news:%23ThN3SQ$DHA.1452@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> this.Controls.FindByName("controlA").GetType();
>
> Good luck
>
> Javier Campos
>
>

Javier
Fri Feb 27 20:01:18 CST 2004


"Stoitcho Goutsev (100) [C# MVP]" <100@100.com> escribió en el mensaje
news:upIbfLU$DHA.2576@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Javier, there is no FindByName method in the control collection.
> Actually Name property is not guarantied to be set. If you create a
control
> dynamically in the code it might have no name set.
>
> IMHO Rigga's suggestion could be a way to go
>

Ooops, that's right, I was messing Delphi here, my bad!

Sorry about the confusion

Javier Campos