calling button class in a form in vb.net - vb.net

Question

I am herewith develop an application but I have created a class which calls button events(i.e. enable or visible)
Public Class ClassfrmLoad
Dim btnAdd As New Button
Dim btnEdit As New Button
Private Sub FormLoad()
Me.btnAdd.Visible = True
Me.btnAdd.Enabled = True
Me.btnEdit.Visible = True
Me.btnEdit.Enabled = False
End Sub
End Class
I am actually created the button events class(classfrmLoad) for the way which buttons should be enabled and visible when each & every form loading.
There are 6 buttons in the forms (frm1, frm2 etc.,) like btnAdd, btnEdit, btnCancel etc., i don't want to display the buttons(visible/enable) while loading the form.
Here is the question:
How can i call this class(classfrmLoad) events to alter (enable/visible) the buttons positioned in the forms(frm1, frm2, etc.,) and how to get the buttons events in those forms?
Dear Sergio,
Thanks for your immediate response. I am missing something and it is not as expected, here is my complete code for the form including yours.
This is the code you suggested for the classfrmLoad:
Public Class ClassfrmLoad
Public Shared Sub FormLoad(ByRef Target As Form)
For Each ctl As Control In Target.Controls
If Not TypeOf ctl Is Button Then Continue For
Dim btn As Button = DirectCast(ctl, Button)
Select Case btn.Name.ToLower()
Case "btnadd"
btn.Visible = True
btn.Enabled = True
Case "btnsave"
btn.Visible = False
btn.Enabled = False
Case "btnedit"
btn.Visible = True
btn.Enabled = True
Case "btncancel"
btn.Visible = True
btn.Enabled = False
Case "btnclose"
btn.Visible = True
btn.Enabled = True
Case "btnupdate"
btn.Visible = False
btn.Enabled = False
Case "btnfind"
btn.Visible = False
btn.Enabled = False
'and so on
End Select
Next
End Sub
End Class
This is the code for the formload event:
Private Sub frmCreate_Unit_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
ClassfrmLoad.FormLoad(Me)
'Display software and title of the page
Me.Text = msgCap & " | " & " CREATE UNIT"
Me.lblComp.Text = CompName
Me.stBar_User.Text = frmMain.stBar_User.Text
Me.stBar_UserID.Text = frmMain.stBar_UserID.Text
Me.stBar_G_ID.Text = frmMain.stBar_G_ID.Text
Me.stBar_G_No.Text = frmMain.stBar_G_No.Text
Me.cboUnit.Visible = False
Me.txtUnit_Long.Visible = True
Me.btnfind.Visible = False
Me.txtUnit_ID.Enabled = False
Me.btnadd.Focus()
End Sub
Please help me to sort out this one. Thanks...

Answer 1

Every form in WinForms is a class instance, inherited from Form class.
Because of this, you cannot make static references to it's members from another class, given any Form instance.
Generic class won't cut it either because you're after specific class members.
I would take advantage of the Controls collection and would check it's name and type. Once caught, we can cast the control to button and set it's visibility and access.
For this, you should make small adjustments to your code:
Public Class ClassfrmLoad
Public Shared Sub FormLoad(ByRef Target As Form)
For Each ctl As Control In Target.Controls
If Not TypeOf ctl Is Button Then Continue For
Dim btn As Button = DirectCast(ctl, Button)
Select Case btn.Name.ToLower()
Case "btnadd", "btnedit"
btn.Visible = True
btn.Enabled = True
'and so on
End Select
Next
End Sub
End Class
Changed the FormLoad visibility and access. It should be shared so we don't need to create unnecessary instances of this class
Added a parameter, passe by reference that referrs the target form. This will assure that you can use it on any class that inherits Form class
Iterated the Controls collection and find a candidate based on it's type and name
When found, we cast it to Button and access it's properties normally.
It's just an example, based on your code.
You should now call it on every Form's formload handler, like so:
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
ClassfrmLoad.FormLoad(Me)
End Sub

Answer 2

Finally I got the solution. It is very simple and any way thanks to sergio.
Here is the complete code.
Public Class ClassfrmLoad
Public Shared Sub formLoad(ByVal btnAdd As Button, ByVal btnEdit As Button, ByVal btnSave As Button, ByVal btnCancel As Button, ByVal btnClose As Button, ByVal btnUpdate As Button, ByVal btnFind As Button)
btnAdd.Visible = True
btnAdd.Enabled = True
btnSave.Visible = False
btnSave.Enabled = False
btnCancel.Visible = True
btnCancel.Enabled = False
btnClose.Visible = True
btnClose.Enabled = True
btnEdit.Visible = True
btnEdit.Enabled = True
btnUpdate.Visible = False
btnUpdate.Enabled = False
btnFind.Visible = False
btnFind.Enabled = False
End Sub
End Class
And calling proceedure in a form like this:
Dim x As New ClassfrmLoad
ClassfrmLoad.formLoad(Me.btnAdd, Me.btnEdit, Me.btnSave, Me.btnCancel, Me.btnClose, Me.btnUpdate, Me.btnFind)