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C# WinForms - What order are controls added to control collection?

I have a C# WinFroms Application with the following code:

for (int i = 0; i < this.Controls.Count; i++)
{
if (this.Controls[i] is ListBox)
{
Control newCtrl = this.Controls[i];
ListBox lb = (ListBox)newCtrl;
lb.ClearSelected();
}
}

When I step through the code, the controls do not seem to be in any particular order within the collection. In order for my code to work correctly, I need to clear certain listboxes, before clearing other listboxes. Is there a way to designate what order the controls are put into the collection?

Thanks,
Sarah

Mike Tomlinson

If you know the names before hand, then do something more along these lines:

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
ListBox lb;
lb = (ListBox)getControlByName(this, "listBox1");
lb.ClearSelected();
lb = (ListBox)getControlByName(this, "listBox2");
lb.ClearSelected();
lb = (ListBox)getControlByName(this, "listBox3");
lb.ClearSelected();
}

private Control getControlByName(Control ctl, string ctlName)
{
foreach (Control child in ctl.Controls)
{
if (child.Name == ctlName)
return child;
else if (child.HasChildren)
{
Control retChild = getControlByName(child, ctlName);
if (retChild != null)
return retChild;
}
}
return null;
}

You can of course do more error checking than I did. Make sure that null was not returned and the the returned control was actually a ListBox before casting it...

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RubenvdLinden

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Mike Tomlinson

But after seeing that...if you have a specific order and know the names, then why not just do it directly?

listBox1.ClearSelected();
listBox2.ClearSelected();
listBox3.ClearSelected();

sabeesh

Hi
you can set "Tag" for your listbox and with respect the tag name you can clear or do whatever you want.

spendergrass

ASKER

I was hoping to be able to keep the code that I posted generic - not having to specify the order within that section of code. Changing the order the controls are added to the form will allow me to do this. Thanks everyone for your help!

Sarah