How to create widget name from a string in VB.NET? - vb.net

Question

I am working on a music program that gives user the option to enter a number in a textbox and creates that many buttons inside a container. I want every button created to be named 'btn' followed by a number generated in a loop. Following is the code I have so far:
Private Sub txtNum_TextChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles txtNum.TextChanged
For i As Integer = 1 To CInt(txtNum)
Dim strName as String = "btn" & i.ToString()
Dim <strName> as New Button
Next
End Sub
I know the line in my code where the button is being created doesn't work. How can I do this? Is there another way I can achieve this in VB.NET?

Answer 1

You should set the Name property of a button with, but I think you should avoid using the TextChanged event to do this. This handler is called everytime you type a single character in the textbox (also when your user mistypes something and the cancel its input to fix the error) so it is better to have a Create button that on click event handles the task
Private Sub bntCreate_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnCreate.Click
For i As Integer = 1 To CInt(txtNum.Text)
Dim strName as String = "btn" & i.ToString()
Dim btn as New Button
btn.Name = strName
' Now calculate the Location property to place your button
btn.Location = new Point(0, i * 20)
' Set the button click handler (same handler for all buttons)
AddHandler btn.Click, AddressOf onClick
' And finally add it to the form controls collection.
Me.Controls.Add(btn)
Next
End Sub
Sub onClick(ByVal sender as Object, ByVal args as EventArgs)
Dim btn = DirectCast(sender, Button)
if btn.Name = "btn1" Then
' Code for btn1
else if btn.Name = "btn2" Then
.....
End If
End Sub
The tricky part is how to position the buttons on your form. In the sample above the buttons are places in a vertical arrangement with 20 pixels of interval between their Top location, but this leads to other problems (buttons can be placed outside the form borders). If the number of buttons allows is high then you should try to use a FlowLayoutPanel to have them automatically arranged according to the FlowLayout settings

Answer 2

you have to add the button to the controls of your form, and create an event handler
> Private Sub txtNum_TextChanged(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
> Handles txtNum.TextChanged
> For i As Integer = 1 To CInt(txtNum)
> Dim strName as String = "btn" & i.ToString()
> Dim btn as New button
> With btn
> .Size = (100,20)
> .Location = (20,20)
> End With
> AddHandler btn.Clicked, AddressOf btn_Clicked
> MyForm.Controls.Add(btn )
> Next
> End Sub