How to add infinite components when a button is clicked - vb.net

Question

I have a social media WinForm. I have a function that basically makes a new picture box when a button is clicked
Public Sub NewPost()
picture as new picturebox
picture.Width = 208
picture.Height = 264
picture.Image = Form2.PictureBox1.Image
picture.Location = New Point(258, 60)
End Sub
The thing is it only generates 1 new picture box because I have to make a new variable each time I want to add a picturebox, and eachtime I have to have a new name. I know my question Is a bit confusing but help would be nice thanks

Answer 1

If you want to trap events for your dynamic PictureBoxes, then you'll have to abandon the WithEvents model and move to using AddHandler.
Here's a quick example where the name of the PictureBox is displayed when it is clicked. Note that I am not setting a Location since they are being added to a FlowLayoutPanel which takes care of the placement for you:
Public Class Form1
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
NewPost()
End Sub
Public Sub NewPost()
Dim picture As New PictureBox
picture.Width = 208
picture.Height = 264
picture.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle
' ...etc...
Dim index As Integer = FlowLayoutPanel1.Controls.Count + 1
picture.Name = "pb" & index
AddHandler picture.Click, AddressOf picture_Click
FlowLayoutPanel1.Controls.Add(picture)
End Sub
Private Sub picture_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
Dim pb As PictureBox = DirectCast(sender, PictureBox)
Debug.Print(pb.Name)
End Sub
End Class

Answer 2

because I have to make a new variable each time
Not necessarily. You just want to keep a reference to the object. That reference doesn't need to be its own variable, it can just as easily be an element in a list. For example, suppose on your form you have a list of PictureBox objects as a class-level member:
Dim pictureBoxes As New List(Of PictureBox)()
Then in your method you can just add to that list:
Public Sub NewPost()
Dim pictureBox As New PictureBox
pictureBox.Width = 208
pictureBox.Height = 264
pictureBox.Image = Form2.PictureBox1.Image
pictureBox.Location = New Point(258, 60)
Me.pictureBoxes.Add(pictureBox)
End Sub
In this case the pictureBox variable is local to the NewPost method and gets re-created each time. But pictureBoxes is a class-level member and keeps track of the growing list of PictureBox objects that you're creating.

Answer 3

You can use a for while loop to create n number of objects

Answer 4

You can use the existing ControlCollection
Public Function NewPost() As String
Dim picture As New PictureBox
'your code
picture.Name = "Pb" & Form2.Controls.OfType(Of PictureBox).Count
Form2.Controls.Add(picture)
Return picture.Name
End Function
then you can retrive it
DirectCast(Form2.Controls(NewPost), PictureBox).Image = Form2.PictureBox1.Image
'OR
DirectCast(Form2.Controls("Pb12"), PictureBox).Image = Form2.PictureBox1.Image