Issues on loop for retrieve the dynamic sql parameter values from dynamic textboxes - vb.net

Question

all. I am a new VB.NET beginner. I am facing the issue of how to pass the dynamic SQL parameter values from the dynamic textboxes to search the data. I had added control of dynamic textboxes and labels and would like to search the data on the database table based on the dynamic textboxes value inputted from the user. Currently, I can only able to search the data from 1 dynamic textbox value only.
I want all the values from the dynamic textboxes that the user had been entered can be retrieved, and search the data based on the SQL parameter variable name and value entered by the user.
Can someone give me some solutions on how to solve this problem? I had stuck on this problem for a few days. Thank you for all the help!
What I had tried:
Private Sub FilterData()
Dim count As Integer = 0
'filterdata for radiobutton
Try
For Each TextBox As TextBox In grp2.Controls.OfType(Of TextBox)()
For Each Label As Label In grp2.Controls.OfType(Of Label)()
Using connection As New SqlConnection("connectionString")
'user key in the SQL statement
sql = TextBox1.Text
Dim sql2 As String
sql2 = sql
Dim sp1 As String() = sql.Split(New String() {"where"}, StringSplitOptions.None)
sql = sp1(0) & " where " & Label.Text & " = #parameter or " & Label.Text & " =#parameter"
If (TextBox.Text <> "") Then
count += 1
For j As Integer = 0 To count - 1
Using cmd As New SqlCommand(sql, connection)
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("#parameter", TextBox.Text)
'cmd.Parameters.Add("#parameter", SqlDbType.NVarChar, 20).Value = TextBox.Text
connection.Open()
Dim dt As New DataTable()
Dim reader As SqlDataReader
reader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
dt.Load(reader)
DataGridView1.DataSource = dt
End Using
Next
Else
GetData()
End If
'cmd.Dispose()
connection.Close()
End Using
Next
Next
Catch ex As Exception
'MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub

Answer 1

Firstly, if you have a 1:1 correspondence between Labels and TextBoxes then you should not be using two nested For Each loops, because that is going to pair up each and every Label with each and every TextBox. What you should be doing is creating arrays and then using a single For loop to access the pairs of controls:
Dim labels = grp2.Controls.OfType(Of Label)().ToArray()
Dim textBoxes = grp2.Controls.OfType(Of TextBox)().ToArray()
For i = 0 To labels.getUpperBound(0)
Dim label = labels(i)
Dim textBox = textBoxes(i)
'...
Next
As for build the SQL and adding the parameters, I would tend to do it something like this:
Dim labels = grp2.Controls.OfType(Of Label)().ToArray()
Dim textBoxes = grp2.Controls.OfType(Of TextBox)().ToArray()
Dim criteria As New List(Of String)
Dim command As New SqlCommand
For i = 0 To labels.getUpperBound(0)
Dim label = labels(i)
Dim textBox = textBoxes(i)
Dim parameterName = "#" & label.Text.Replace(" ", "_")
criteria.Add($"[{label.Text}] = {parameterName}")
command.Parameters.AddWithValue(parameterName, textBox.Text)
Next
Dim sql = "SELECT * FROM MyTable"
If criteria.Any() Then
sql &= " WHERE " & String.Join(" OR ", criteria)
End If
command.CommandText = sql

Answer 2

I think that you should begin to separate UI and data logic here is an example of implementation:
First you have a table in database:
CREATE TABLE Customer (
Id INT IDENTITY (1, 1) PRIMARY KEY,
FirstName VARCHAR (255) NOT NULL,
LastName VARCHAR (255) NOT NULL,
Phone VARCHAR (25),
Email VARCHAR (255) NOT NULL,
Street VARCHAR (255),
City VARCHAR (50),
State VARCHAR (25),
ZipCode VARCHAR (5)
);
Then you create the underlying entity in VB. Net:
Public Class Customer
Public Property Id As Integer
Public Property FirstName As String
Public Property LastName As String
Public Property Phone As String
Public Property Email As String
Public Property Street As String
Public Property City As String
Public Property State As String
Public Property ZipCode As String
End Class
Data loader
Now you need a data access component that loads records to a list of this above entity here a nice implementation:
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Public Class CustomerDataAccess
Public Property ConStr As String
Public Sub New(ByVal constr As String)
constr = constr
End Sub
Public Function GetCustomersByCriterias(constraints As Object) As List(Of Customer)
Dim query As String = "SELECT Id, FirstName, LastName, Phone, Email, Street, City, State, ZipCode
FROM [dbo].[Customer] "
Dim result = New List(Of Customer)()
Using con = New SqlConnection(ConStr)
Using cmd = con.CreateCommand()
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text
cmd.CommandText = query
'' here the magic to add dynamic criteria coming from constraints
cmd.ApplyConstraints(Of Customer)(constraints)
con.Open()
LoadCustomerData(cmd, result)
End Using
End Using
Return result
End Function
Private Sub LoadCustomerData(ByVal cmd As SqlCommand, ByVal result As List(Of Customer))
Using rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader()
Dim idIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("Id")
Dim firstNameIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("FirstName")
Dim lastNameIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("LastName")
Dim phoneIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("Phone")
Dim emailIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("Email")
Dim streetIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("Street")
Dim cityIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("City")
Dim stateIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("State")
Dim zipCodeIdx As Integer = rdr.GetOrdinal("ZipCode")
While rdr.Read()
Dim item = New Customer()
item.Id = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of Integer)(idIdx)
item.FirstName = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(firstNameIdx)
item.LastName = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(lastNameIdx)
item.Phone = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(phoneIdx)
item.Email = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(emailIdx)
item.Street = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(streetIdx)
item.City = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(cityIdx)
item.State = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(stateIdx)
item.ZipCode = rdr.GetValueOrDefault(Of String)(zipCodeIdx)
result.Add(item)
End While
End Using
End Sub
End Class
Extensions methods
Below are extensions methods referenced above that do the magic you are looking for:
DataReader extensions to make it easy to read values from SalDataReader with Dbnull exfeptional case and casting
Module DataReaderExtenions
<Extension()>
Function GetValueOrDefault(Of T)(row As IDataRecord, fieldName As String) As T
Dim ordinal = row.GetOrdinal(fieldName)
Return row.GetValueOrDefault(Of T)(ordinal)
End Function
<Extension()>
Function GetValueOrDefault(Of T)(row As IDataRecord, ordinal As Integer) As T
Return (If(row.IsDBNull(ordinal), Nothing, row.GetValue(ordinal)))
End Function
<Extension()>
Function GetValueOrDefaultSqlite(Of T)(row As IDataRecord, fieldName As String) As T
Dim ordinal = row.GetOrdinal(fieldName)
Return row.GetValueOrDefault(Of T)(ordinal)
End Function
<Extension()>
Function GetValueOrDefaultSqlite(Of T)(row As IDataRecord, ordinal As Integer) As T
Return (If(row.IsDBNull(ordinal), Nothing, Convert.ChangeType(row.GetValue(ordinal), GetType(T))))
End Function
End Module
Command extensions that lets you extract criteria from an anonymous object values:
Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices
Module CommandExtensions
<Extension()>
Function AddParameter(command As IDbCommand, name As String, value As Object) As IDataParameter
If command Is Nothing Then Throw New ArgumentNullException("command")
If name Is Nothing Then Throw New ArgumentNullException("name")
Dim p = command.CreateParameter()
p.ParameterName = name
p.Value = If(value, DBNull.Value)
command.Parameters.Add(p)
Return p
End Function
<Extension()>
Function ToDictionary(data As Object) As Dictionary(Of String, Object)
If TypeOf data Is String OrElse data.[GetType]().IsPrimitive Then Return New Dictionary(Of String, Object)()
Return (From [property] In data.[GetType]().GetProperties(BindingFlags.[Public] Or BindingFlags.Instance)
Where [property].CanRead
Select [property]).ToDictionary(Function([property]) [property].Name, Function([property]) [property].GetValue(data, Nothing))
End Function
<Extension()>
Sub ApplyConstraints(Of TEntity)(cmd As IDbCommand, constraints As Object)
If constraints Is Nothing Then Return
Dim dictionary = constraints.ToDictionary()
Dim whereClause = " WHERE "
For Each kvp In dictionary
Dim columnName = kvp.Key
Dim propertyName = kvp.Key
Dim prefix = "#"c
Dim value = kvp.Value
whereClause += $"{columnName} **like** {prefix}{propertyName} AND "
cmd.AddParameter(propertyName, value)
Next
If String.IsNullOrEmpty(whereClause) Then Return
cmd.CommandText += whereClause.Remove(whereClause.Length - 5, 5)
End Sub
End Module
Example:
After coded all these stuff now you can do the following:
Dim DataGridView1 As DataGridView = New DataGridView()
Dim ConStr As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("MyApp").ConnectionString
Dim dal As CustomerDataAccess = New CustomerDataAccess(ConStr)
Dim criterias = New With {.FirstName = "%James%", .LastName = "%Nadin%"}
DataGridView1.DataSource = dal.GetCustomersByCriterias(criterias)
Despite all this code you are still need to bind your textbox (after naming them correctly) to a SearchEntity and use this entity to provide criterias
I hope this material can help you tackle your issue and incite you to improve your architecture & dev skills