Visual basic / visual studio 2010 windows form loads blank - vb.net

Question

I am new to visual basic so hopefully this is a simple question. I have a menu with buttons to call different forms. The forms are designed and have labels and text fields and buttons and so on. From the main menu I have tried calling the forms two different ways. One way the forms open and look correct and function. The other way the form opens as a small blank square with no fields. Ultimately I want to create a set of List objects when the main menu opens and pass them back and forth to the other forms for input and processing. I'm using parallel Lists as a temporary database for a simple school lab. I just don't see what is wrong with the way I am calling the form. I haven't even bothered worrying about passing the List objects properly yet.
Public Class frmMain
Dim arrGames As New List(Of String)
Dim arrDates As New List(Of String)
Dim arrPrices As New List(Of Decimal)
Dim arrSeats As New List(Of Integer)
Private Sub btnEnterGames_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnEnterGames.Click
'NewEnter.Visible = True
Dim frmEnter As New NewEnter(arrGames, arrDates, arrPrices, arrSeats)
frmEnter.ShowDialog()
End Sub
Private Sub btnReports_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnReports.Click
'Reports.Visible = True
Dim frmReports As New Reports(arrGames, arrDates, arrPrices, arrSeats)
frmReports.Visible = True
End Sub
Private Sub btnSellTickets_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnSellTickets.Click
'SellTickets.Visible = True
Dim frmSell As New SellTickets(arrGames, arrDates, arrPrices, arrSeats)
frmSell.Visible = True
End Sub
Private Sub btnExit_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnExit.Click
Close()
End Sub
End Class
This is the code for the form NewEnter. I have the New routine which accepts the 4 Lists and basically does nothing else. Doing the "'NewEnter.Visible = True" in the main menu will load the form correctly but I have to comment out the New sub routine in the forms or there is an error.
Public Class NewEnter
Private _arrGames As List(Of String)
Private _arrDates As List(Of String)
Private _arrPrices As List(Of Decimal)
Private _arrSeats As List(Of Integer)
Sub New(ByVal arrGames As List(Of String), ByVal arrDates As List(Of String), ByVal arrPrices As List(Of Decimal), ByVal arrSeats As List(Of Integer))
' TODO: Complete member initialization
' _arrGames = arrGames
' _arrDates = arrDates
' _arrPrices = arrPrices
' _arrSeats = arrSeats
End Sub
Private Sub btnSaveGame_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnSaveGame.Click
Dim arrGames As New List(Of String)
Dim arrDates As New List(Of String)
Dim arrPrices As New List(Of Decimal)
Dim arrSeats As New List(Of Integer)
Dim strGame As String
Dim strPrice As String
Dim strSeats As String
Dim intSeats As Integer
Dim decPrice As Decimal
Dim bolGameErr As Boolean
Dim bolDateErr As Boolean
Dim bolPriceErr As Boolean
Dim bolSeatErr As Boolean
strGame = txtGame.Text
strPrice = txtPrice.Text
strSeats = txtSeats.Text
'~~~~~~~~~~~~verify a game is entered
If String.IsNullOrEmpty(strGame) Or String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(strGame) Then
bolGameErr = True
Else
'~~~~~~~~~~~~verify price is numeric
If IsNumeric(strPrice) Then
decPrice = strPrice
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~verify seats are numeric
If IsNumeric(strSeats) Then
intSeats = Convert.ToInt32(strSeats)
' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ add elements to array lists
arrGames.Add(New String(strGame))
arrDates.Add(dtpDate.Text)
arrPrices.Add(New Decimal(decPrice))
arrSeats.Add(intSeats)
lblSaveSuccessful.Visible = True
ClearInput()
' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ add elements to array lists
Else
bolSeatErr = True
End If
Else
bolPriceErr = True
End If
End If
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check flags for input errors
If bolDateErr = True Then
lblErr.Text = "Invalid date"
lblErr.Visible = True
End If
If bolGameErr = True Then
lblErr.Text = "Must enter a game name"
lblErr.Visible = True
txtGame.Focus()
End If
If bolDateErr = True And bolGameErr = True Then
lblErr.Text = "Must enter a game name and valid date"
lblErr.Visible = True
txtGame.Focus()
End If
If bolPriceErr = True Then
lblPriceErr.Visible = True
txtPrice.Text = ""
txtPrice.Focus()
End If
If bolSeatErr = True Then
lblSeatErr.Visible = True
txtSeats.Text = ""
txtSeats.Focus()
End If
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check flags for input error
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Display output
Dim i As Integer
i = 0
lblData.Text = arrGames.Count.ToString
Do While i < arrGames.Count
lblData.Text = Convert.ToString(arrGames(i)) & " on " & Convert.ToString(arrDates(i)) & " Price: " & _
Convert.ToString(arrPrices(i)) & " Available Seats: " & Convert.ToString(arrSeats(i))
i += 1
Loop
'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Display output
lblData.Visible = True
End Sub
Private Sub ClearInput()
'lblErr.Visible = False
'lblPriceErr.Visible = False
'lblSeatErr.Visible = False
txtGame.Text = ""
txtPrice.Text = ""
txtSeats.Text = ""
txtGame.Focus()
End Sub
Public Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
'Me.Visible = True
'Me.BackColor = Color.BurlyWood
'Me.ResumeLayout()
'Me.Activate()
'Me.Focus()
'Me.Show()
'Me.lblGameHdr.Visible = True
End Sub
Private Sub btnExit_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnExit.Click
Close()
End Sub
End Class

Answer 1

Add InitializeComponent() to your constructor class.
This is added by default to the New (constructor) function of all Visual Basic forms. It requires it to set-up the UI components on the form.