How to show menu text in custom ToolStripItem? - vb.net

Question

Mainform VB.Net:
<Global.Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.DesignerGenerated()>
Partial Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCode()>
Protected Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
Try
If disposing AndAlso components IsNot Nothing Then
components.Dispose()
End If
Finally
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Try
End Sub
'Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer
'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
'Do not modify it using the code editor.
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()>
Private Sub InitializeComponent()
Me.tsBasket = New System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip()
Me.tsiFruit = New System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDownButton()
Me.tsBasket.SuspendLayout()
Me.SuspendLayout()
'
'tsBasket
'
Me.tsBasket.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.None
Me.tsBasket.GripStyle = System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripGripStyle.Hidden
Me.tsBasket.Items.AddRange(New System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem() {Me.tsiFruit})
Me.tsBasket.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(355, 213)
Me.tsBasket.Name = "tsBasket"
Me.tsBasket.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(121, 25)
Me.tsBasket.TabIndex = 5
'
'tsiFruit
'
Me.tsiFruit.ImageTransparentColor = System.Drawing.Color.Magenta
Me.tsiFruit.Name = "tsiFruit"
Me.tsiFruit.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(87, 22)
Me.tsiFruit.Text = "add fruit"
'
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleDimensions = New System.Drawing.SizeF(6.0!, 13.0!)
Me.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(800, 450)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.tsBasket)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.tsBasket.ResumeLayout(False)
Me.tsBasket.PerformLayout()
Me.ResumeLayout(False)
Me.PerformLayout()
End Sub
Friend WithEvents tsBasket As ToolStrip
Friend WithEvents tsiFruit As ToolStripDropDownButton
End Class
Form Load:
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim men As New TestTool()
men.Text = "showmeplease"
men.Image = Nothing
men.NewProperty = "BO"
Dim men2 As New TestTool()
men2.Text = "showmeplease2"
men2.Image = Nothing
men2.NewProperty = "BO2"
tsiFruit.DropDownItems.Add(men)
tsiFruit.DropDownItems.Add(men2)
AddHandler men.Click, AddressOf tsiType_Click
AddHandler men2.Click, AddressOf tsiType_Click
End Sub
Private Sub tsiType_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs)
Dim MenuItem As TestTool = DirectCast(sender, TestTool)
MessageBox.Show(MenuItem.NewProperty & " " & MenuItem.Text)
End Sub
Custom class:
Public Class TestTool
Inherits ToolStripItem
Private newPropertyValue As String
Public Property NewProperty() As String
Get
Return newPropertyValue
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
newPropertyValue = value
End Set
End Property
Sub New()
' This call is required by the designer.
' InitializeComponent()
End Sub
End Class
On my custom class/Usercontrol I am getting :
The designer must create an instance of type 'System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem' but it cannot because the type is declared as abstract. and I am not seeing the text appear in the menu items, but the click event works fine.
Is this the correct way to extend(Inherit using OO) a ToolMenuStrip so that I can have a Display value and a Member value, I want to be able to store an object without using .Tag.
Edit:
I am getting when trying to have nested menus:
System.InvalidCastException: 'Unable to cast object of type 'System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem' to type 'WindowsApp1.TestTool'.'
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim men As New TestTool()
men.Text = "showmeplease"
men.Image = Nothing
men.NewProperty = "BO"
Dim men2 As New TestTool()
men2.Text = "showmeplease2"
men2.Image = Nothing
men2.NewProperty = "BO2"
tsiFruit.DropDownItems.Add(men)
tsiFruit.DropDownItems.Add(men2)
Dim TypeMenuItem As TestTool = men.DropDownItems.Add("hh")
For Each mInfo As String In Moreinfo
TypeMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add(mInfo, Nothing, AddressOf tsiType_Click)
Next
AddHandler men.Click, AddressOf tsiType_Click
AddHandler men2.Click, AddressOf tsiType_Click
End Sub
Private p_Moreinfo As List(Of String)
Public Property Moreinfo() As List(Of String)
Get
Dim test As New List(Of String)
test.Add("A")
test.Add("B")
Return test
End Get
Set(ByVal value As List(Of String))
p_Moreinfo = value
End Set
End Property

Answer 1

If you enable the Option Strict check (you should), you will find an error with the line below in the Form1_Load event:
' Error: Option Strict On disallows implicit conversions from ToolStrinpItem
' to TestTool.
Dim TypeMenuItem As TestTool = men.DropDownItems.Add("hh")
Because the .DropDownItems.Add(String) overload returns a ToolStripItem and not an object of type TestTool. The .DropDownItems don't inherit the type of the owner item.
' Compiles.
Dim TypeMenuItem As ToolStripItem = men.DropDownItems.Add("hh")
' Compiles.
Dim TypeMenuItem As ToolStripMenuItem = DirectCast(men.DropDownItems.Add("hh"), ToolStripMenuItem)
' Throws System.InvalidCastException.
Dim TypeMenuItem As TestTool = DirectCast(men.DropDownItems.Add("hh"), TestTool)
So, the code in Load event should be like:
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim men As New TestTool With {
.Text = "showmeplease",
.NewProperty = "BO"
}
Dim men2 As New TestTool With {
.Text = "showmeplease2",
.NewProperty = "BO2"
}
tsiFruit.DropDownItems.Add(men)
tsiFruit.DropDownItems.Add(men2)
Dim TypeMenuItem As New TestTool() With {.NewProperty = "hh", .Text = "SomeText"}
men.DropDownItems.Add(TypeMenuItem)
For Each mInfo As String In Moreinfo
Dim item = New TestTool With {.NewProperty = mInfo, .Text = "SomeText"}
AddHandler item.Click, AddressOf tsiType_Click
TypeMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add(item)
Next
AddHandler men.Click, AddressOf tsiType_Click
AddHandler men2.Click, AddressOf tsiType_Click
End Sub
Likewise, to avoid throwing exceptions in the tsiType_Click event, just in case:
Private Sub tsiType_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
Dim item = TryCast(sender, TestTool)
If item IsNot Nothing Then
MessageBox.Show($"{item.NewProperty} {item.Text}")
Else
MessageBox.Show(DirectCast(sender, ToolStripItem).Text)
End If
End Sub
I believe you have modified the TestTool class as #jmcilhinney commented to something like:
Public Class TestTool
Inherits ToolStripMenuItem
Sub New()
MyBase.New
End Sub
Public Property NewProperty As String
End Class