Is this legal in VB.NET if not, why and how to solve it.

What are you trying to do?  Contains returns a true/false, so how would you use that as an index to a collection?

Bob

are you looking for the indexof() method which returns the index of a value here ? that would make more sense for use in the indexing of another collection.

Hello,


Thanks for the read!...Well, I 'm just trying to write an IF statement in the load of the form...The thing is, the combo box that I'm trying to check, lives within panel which lives in a group which lives in a tabpage which belongs to a tabcontrol. Phew. Anyhelp is appreciated. Thanks!

could you test just


if (cboEmailaddress.text) <> "" Then
end if

We do not need to use contains to access it
the contains just used to go through the controls in the page

sorry for more ()

if cboEmailaddress.text <> "" Then
end if

This is what I use to find a control recursively looking through other container controls:

  Public Function FindControlByName(ByVal containerParent As Object, ByVal nameSearch As String) As Control

    ' Description:
    '  Starting with the top-level container, search through each control looking for a control
    '  with the specified name.  If the current control has children controls, such as a GroupBox, then
    '  recursively call this routine to search for the control in each container.  

    ' VB.NET is different in this regard from VB6, where Me.Controls in VB6 contained all the controls
    ' for the form, and in VB.NET it contains only the top-level controls.

    Dim foundControl As Control

    Try

      For Each controlCurrent As Control In containerParent.Controls

        If controlCurrent.Controls.Count > 0 Then

          ' The current control owns other controls, so search through the
          ' controls for that container for the specified control name.
          foundControl = FindControlByName(controlCurrent, nameSearch)
        End If

        ' Control not found from the container search?
        If foundControl Is Nothing Then

          ' Control matched by name?
          If controlCurrent.Name = nameSearch Then

            ' Return a reference to the control to the caller.
            foundControl = controlCurrent

            ' Don't go any further, since the control was found.
            Exit For

          End If ' Control matched by name?

        Else

          ' Don't go any further, since the control was found on the container.
          Exit For

        End If ' Control not found from the container search?

      Next controlCurrent

    Finally

    End Try

    Return foundControl

  End Function 'FindControlByName'

Bob

Thank you all for your input. Bob, I believe that you understand me the best. Is this function that you have written necessary for VB.NET only or was it neccessary for VB6 as well? If so, why? Also, Do you think you could show how you use your little function here in a piece of code...say..between form1 and form2, each containing a text box? Also, should that function have to be a module Thank you soooooooo much in advace.I've upped the points! Thanks!

In VB6, you didn't have the concept of containers having a Controls property.  In VB.NET 2005, you will be able to reference a control by it's name:

GroupBox("textInput")

This isn't here yet, so this IMHO is necessary in VB.NET 2002 or 2003, since you can't reference controls by name.

You could have this as as shared function in a class module (like String.Format):

Public Class Utility

  Public Shared Function FindControlByName

End Class

Call by Utility.FindControlByName(form1, "textInput")

Bob

Maaan....thank you sooo much bob. You are alifesaver like none other. one last little thing...please? can I put pass that 'Call by Utility.FindControlName(formname,controlname)' into a different varibles in the load event on each form? if so. how..


Thank you soooo much...this has been great!!!!

more points still for that last piece of info..then I'm all set I believe! Thanks!

can I put pass that 'Call by Utility.FindControlName(formname,controlname)'  above into a different varibles in the load event on each form so as to make limit the amount of typing I woud have to do (by not having to type Utility.FindControlName each time)? if so. how..