Accessing Dynamic Dims - vb.net

Question

I am creating what I believe is the way to create dynamic dims e.g.
Dim browser(DataGridView1.Rows(e.RowIndex).Cells(0).Value)
which basically is creating a something like Dim browser(1)
However I am trying to write a test button to call this browser by using:
browser1.load("http://google.com")
and I have even tried
browser(1).load("http://google.com"
I get the browser part underlined.
What is the correct way to reference them?

Answer 1

I'm not sure what the end goal is, but this construct:
Dim browser(1)
Is effectively the same as:
Dim browser(1) as Object
i.e. it's creating an array of Object of length 2, which is fine in that it can hold anything but makes your life pointlessly hard because you then have to cast the contents every time you want to do something with them; it's bad enough storing a single thing (such as a web browser widget) as an Object:
'this is bad
Dim browser as Object = New WebBrowserWidget
Because you have to cast it every time you use it (when Option Strict is On, which is really the only way you should ever program)
DirectCast(browser, webBrowserWidget).Load("http://google.com)
But to then add the indirection of storing it in an array:
'this is worse
Dim browser(1) as Object
browser(0) = New WebBrowserWidget
browser(1) = New WebBrowserWidget
And casting them to use them:
DirectCast(browser(0), webBrowserWidget).Load("http://google.com)
Just give these things a proper type when you declare them, or use type inference by providing something on the right hand side of an = that is a particular type:
'infer the type from the right hand side
Dim browser = New WebBrowserWidget
'or declare, give a type and create a new instance to assign to it
Dim browser as New WebBrowserWidget
Then it's a lot easier to use it, because Intellisense will know it's a browser and offer you help with the methods and properties, such as Load:
browser.Load("http://google.com")
If you code with Option Strict Off then you can store things in an object and just cross your fingers and hope you get everything right when youre coding, but it's like writing javascript - fumbling round eyes closed not knowing whether you got it right til it blows up at runtime:
Dim x as Object = New WebBrowserWidget
x.Load(...) 'don't get any intelllisense for this, but it'll work at runtime
x.Laod(...) 'dont get any compiler error even though this is a typo - it'll just explode at runtime