label doesn't appear on dynamically created form vb.net - vb.net

I'm staring at my code for hours now and I don't understand what's going on. I'm creating a form with a number of checkboxes and labels, based on a textbox value from another form.
This is the code:
Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
Dim lb As Label
Dim cb1 As CheckBox
Dim cb As CheckBox
Dim i As Integer
Dim j As Integer
For i = 1 To CInt(Aantal.Text) - 1
indivwoningen.Width = indivwoningen.Size.Width + 21
indivwoningen.Button1.Location = New Point(indivwoningen.Button1.Location.X + 21, indivwoningen.Button1.Location.Y)
lb = New Label
indivwoningen.Controls.Add(lb)
lb.Text = i + 1
lb.Font = indivwoningen.Label23.Font
lb.Location = New Point(indivwoningen.Label23.Location.X + 21 * i, indivwoningen.Label23.Location.Y)
For j = 1 To 18
cb1 = New CheckBox
indivwoningen.Controls.Add(cb1)
cb = indivwoningen.Controls.Find("CheckBox" & j & "00", False)(0)
cb1.Location = New Point(cb.Location.X + 21 * i, cb.Location.Y)
cb1.Width = cb.Width
cb1.Text = cb.Text
If i < 10 Then
cb1.Name = "CheckBox" & j & "0" & i
Else
cb1.Name = "CheckBox" & j & i
End If
Next
Next
indivwoningen.Show()
End Sub
The created form has got two flaws:
Only the first created label is visible
The checkboxes aren't properly aligned.
I don't understand what's going on. Can someone help me?
EDIT: Here are pictures before I create extra controls and after

Set the Autosize property to True for the labels and set the Height of the checkboxes to the same height of your reference checkbox
For i = 1 To CInt(Aantal.Text) - 1
....
lb = New Label
indivwoningen.Controls.Add(lb)
lb.Text = i + 1
lb.Font = indivwoningen.Label23.Font
lb.Autosize = True
lb.Location = New Point(indivwoningen.Label23.Location.X + 21 * i, indivwoningen.Label23.Location.Y)
For j = 1 To 18
cb1 = New CheckBox
indivwoningen.Controls.Add(cb1)
cb = indivwoningen.Controls.Find("CheckBox" & j & "00", False)(0)
cb1.Location = New Point(cb.Location.X + 21 * i, cb.Location.Y)
cb1.Width = cb.Width
cb1.Height = cb.Height
cb1.Text = cb.Text
If i < 10 Then
cb1.Name = "CheckBox" & j & "0" & i
Else
cb1.Name = "CheckBox" & j & i
End If
Next
Next
Well, for the checkbox the explanation seems to be easy. The new checkbox has, by default, an Heigth of 24 pixels while the one drawn on the form as a smaller Height. So, because the check square is centered inside the Height of the Checkbox it appears to be not aligned to the reference checkbox.
For the labels the problem is of the same kind. Without setting the Autosize, the labels are created with a default size of 100x23 pixels. This means that the label with text "2" extends its size to cover the position of the labels with text "3","4","5","6", while the label with text "3" covers the label with text "7" and so on.
In any case setting AutoSize seems to be the default behavior, followed also in the Form.Designer.vb file where the controls are created following your design time instructions.
You could also try to set the Size of the dynamically created labels to the same size of the reference label and the effect is the same.

Related

How to dynamicallty create multiple controls at runtime

I am trying to add multiple labels to a userform at runtime
It's for the player names of a board game; and until the game starts the number of players are not known. I have managed to figure out for myself how to use the dynamic array function to create the list of players. I used a For.....Next loop to add the player names. I thought I could do that to add the labels to the form, but it only adds one. Depending on where the new control type is declared, it either adds the first player only, or the last player
This code produces one label only within the groupbox, the last player
Public Class Form1
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim Players_Num As Integer = InputBox("Enter the number of players")
Dim Players(Players_Num) As String
Dim newText As New Label
For i = 0 To Players_Num - 1
Players(i) = InputBox("Enter player name")
Next
'This piece of code was jsut for me to test that I was successfully using a For...Loop
'to add the players names, and will be deleted later on
For x = 0 To Players_Num - 1
MessageBox.Show(Players(x))
Next
For z = 0 To Players_Num - 1
newText.Name = "txt" & Players(z)
newText.Text = Players(z)
newText.Size = New Size(170, 20)
newText.Location = New Point(12 + 5, 12 + 5)
GroupBox1.Controls.Add(newText)
Next
End Sub
End Class
This one places only the first player
Public Class Form1
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim Players_Num As Integer = InputBox("Enter the number of players")
Dim Players(Players_Num) As String
For i = 0 To Players_Num - 1
Players(i) = InputBox("Enter player name")
Next
'This piece of code was jsut for me to test that I was successfully using a For...Loop
'to add the players names, and will be deleted later on
For x = 0 To Players_Num - 1
MessageBox.Show(Players(x))
Next
For z = 0 To Players_Num - 1
Dim newText As New Label
newText.Name = "txt" & Players(z)
newText.Text = Players(z)
newText.Size = New Size(170, 20)
newText.Location = New Point(12 + 5, 12 + 5)
GroupBox1.Controls.Add(newText)
Next
End Sub
End Class
I've tried this in vs 2015 and 2019 Community
Where is it going wrong?
From the looks of the code, you are correctly creating the controls but their location is the same for all of them, essentially, they are being place one of top of the other, the first is hidden with the second, which is hidden with the third.
The line
newText.Location = New Point(12 + 5, 12 + 5)
needs to be modified to place the labels at different locations.
Perhaps, something like:
newText.Location = New Point(12 + 5, 12 + (z * 25))
This will vertically align the labels with a gap of 25 between them
You are placing them all in the same location
newText.Location = New Point(12 + 5, 12 + 5)
Use your 'z' index to place them at different locations in order to be able to see them
For me it is easier to contain controls in a TableLayoutPanel then add the TLP to what ever control collection, such as a GroupBox This way you can couple a Label with TextBox, for example. Here's an example how you can create controls from a DataTable. In your case you would only need 1 ColumnStyle for labels, I just thought I would show you a good practice for future shortcuts. (I rarely use the designer to place controls)
'Start test data
Dim DtTable As New DataTable
With DtTable
Dim NewDtRow As DataRow = .NewRow
For i As Integer = 0 To 25
Dim DtCol As New DataColumn With {.ColumnName = "Col" & i, .DataType = GetType(String)}
.Columns.Add(DtCol)
NewDtRow(DtCol.ColumnName) = "Test" & i
Next
.Rows.Add(NewDtRow)
End With
'End test data
Dim TLP1 As New TableLayoutPanel With {.Name = "TlpFields"}
With TLP1
.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.Fixed3D
.CellBorderStyle = TableLayoutPanelCellBorderStyle.Inset
.AutoScroll = True
.AutoSize = True
.RowStyles.Clear()
.ColumnStyles.Clear()
.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
.ColumnCount = 2
.ColumnStyles.Add(New ColumnStyle With {.SizeType = SizeType.AutoSize})
End With
For Each DtCol As DataColumn In DtTable.Columns
With TLP1
.RowCount += 1
.RowStyles.Add(New RowStyle With {.SizeType = SizeType.AutoSize})
'create labels
.Controls.Add(New Label With {
.Text = DtCol.ColumnName,
.Anchor = AnchorStyles.Right}, 0, .RowCount)
'create textboxs
Dim TxtBox As New TextBox With {
.Name = "TextBox" & DtCol.ColumnName,
.Size = New Size(170, 20),
.Anchor = AnchorStyles.Left}
'add binding
TxtBox.DataBindings.Add("Text", DtTable, DtCol.ColumnName)
.Controls.Add(TxtBox, 1, .RowCount)
End With
Next
Controls.Add(TLP1)

Adding labels and other controls to a groupbox dynamically in vb.net not working?

So I've been having problems adding labels from a record structure into a groupbox that stack below each other vertically. I could use a Flow Layout Panel but I have multiple labels I need to add from data in a record structure which I want to be able to scroll later with a vertical scrollbar as the autoscroll will only work with one panel only, and not all of them.
For some reason the program puts only one label in, and the others don't seem to be visible even though they have been created (I used a messagebox to check). Could someone please help me to put them in, as I am fairly new to programming and need help.
For context, the program loads 'materials' from an xml file and stores it in a record structure, then this bit of the program creates labels and radio buttons dynamically and puts it in a groupbox, so that it can be arranged manually on a pretty grid that will all become scrollable by using a scrollbar later.. Because the data I am working with is all related, and can have strings of multiple sizes (names and suppliers of materials for example) I didn't want to attempt to add whitespace to make the grid work but with a single label (not that the others would show beneath the first for some reason)
CODE:
'sets up Labels for editing materials
prgFunctions.loadMat()
Dim counter As Integer
Dim newMatIDLabel(numMatFile) As Label
Dim newMatRdb(numMatFile) As RadioButton
Dim lastPos As Integer
'testing to see if materials load GET RID OF LATER
' For counter = 1 To numMatFile
'ListBox1.Items.Add(materials(counter).matName)
' Next
'create the labels with information
For counter = 1 To numMatFile
'ID
newMatIDLabel(counter) = New Label
newMatIDLabel(counter).Name = "lblMatIDNum" & counter
newMatIDLabel(counter).Text = materials(counter).matID
newMatIDLabel(counter).Parent = gbxMaterials
' MsgBox(newMatIDLabel(counter).Name & " " & newMatIDLabel(counter).Text)
Next
'create the checkboxes NOW RADIO BUTTONS
For counter = 1 To numMatFile
newMatRdb(counter) = New RadioButton
newMatRdb(counter).Name = "chkMatSelectNum" & counter
newMatRdb(counter).Text = ""
newMatRdb(counter).Parent = gbxMaterials
Next
'matID locations
lastPos = 10
For counter = 1 To numMatFile
'SOMEHOW MOVE IT INTO THE GROUPBOX INSTEAD, as issues arise everywhere
newMatIDLabel(counter).Location = New Point(7, lastPos + 10)
lastPos = lastPos + 10
Next
Why not just:
lastPos = 10
For counter = 1 To numMatFile
Dim label As New Label
label.Name = "chkMatSelectNum" & counter
label.Text = materials(counter).matID
label.Location = New Point(7, lastPos)
label.Visible = True
gbxMaterials.Controls.Add(label)
lastPos += label.Height
Next
Based on F0r3v3r-A-N00b's answer:
The label has a height of 23, so it seems it is hiding the others.
This works for me:
Dim lastPos As Integer = 20
For counter As Integer = 1 To numMatFile
Dim label As New Label
label.Name = "chkMatSelectNum" & counter
label.Text = materials(counter).matId
label.AutoSize = True
label.Visible = True
label.Location = New Point(7, lastPos)
gbxMaterials.Controls.Add(label)
lastPos += 17
Next

Size of labels in a TableLayoutPanel

I've been stuck in this for two hours now. I googled for the answer a lot, and still can't figure out what's wrong with my program.
I have a TableLayoutPanel1 in a form2. This is the code in which I create labels, a list and then add all of those labels to the TableLayOutPanel1:
Public Class Form2
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim lbl0, lbl1, lbl11, lbl2, lbl22, lbl3, lbl33, lbl4, lbl44, lbl5, lbl55, lbl6, lbl66, lbl7, lbl77 As New Label
lbl0.Text = "ACCESORIOS"
lbl0.Font = New System.Drawing.Font("MS Reference Sans Serif", 15.75, FontStyle.Bold)
lbl0.Location = New Point(110, 12)
lbl0.AutoSize = True
Me.Controls.Add(lbl0)
lbl1.Text = "Té 180°"
lbl11.Text = Te180
lbl2.Text = "Té 90° Empalme - Codo Triple"
If Global1 <> 0 Then
lbl22.Text = 0
Else
lbl22.Text = Global2 - 1
End If
lbl3.Text = "Soporte 90° T/T"
lbl33.Text = SoporteTT90
lbl4.Text = "Base para tubo de 1 1/2 - 3 agujeros"
lbl44.Text = Int(lbl11.Text) + Int(lbl22.Text) + (lbl33.Text)
lbl5.Text = "Base para tubo de 1 1/2 - 1 agujero"
lbl55.Text = 2
lbl6.Text = "Tapas para base de tubo de 1 1/2"
lbl66.Text = lbl44.Text
lbl7.Text = "Tornillos y Tarugos 5 x 50 y N°8 Ladrillo Hueco"
lbl7.Font = New System.Drawing.Font("MS Reference Sans Serif", 15.75, FontStyle.Bold)
lbl77.Text = (Int(lbl44.Text) + Int(lbl55.Text)) * 3
Dim labellist As New List(Of Label)()
labellist.Add(lbl1)
labellist.Add(lbl2)
labellist.Add(lbl3)
labellist.Add(lbl4)
labellist.Add(lbl5)
labellist.Add(lbl6)
labellist.Add(lbl7)
labellist.Add(lbl11)
labellist.Add(lbl22)
labellist.Add(lbl33)
labellist.Add(lbl44)
labellist.Add(lbl55)
labellist.Add(lbl66)
labellist.Add(lbl77)
Dim h = 0
For i = 0 To 1
For j = 0 To 6
Dim etiqueta As New Label
etiqueta.Text = labellist(h).Text
TableLayoutPanel1.Controls.Add(etiqueta, i, j)
h = h + 1
Next
Next
End Sub
End Class
The problem is that the the full label doesn't appear in the table.[enter image description here][1]
I have tried Autosizing the labels, the tablelayout. Nothing works. It's like there's an invisible line that doesn't let the text of the label get past a line in the table. Any help appreciated. Thanks.
The layout in form2. enter image description here
What happens when I make the font in the TLP 5pts. The whole label appears in two lines. enter image description here
Mainly, you create all those labels, store them in a list. Then all you use them for is to set the text on another new label you create to add to the controls collection.
Here is a shorter, simpler way to do all that with no extra list, and just one scratch label variable for the TLP set:
Dim texts = {"Te 180", "Te 90 - blah blah blah", "Soprte 90 T/T",
"Torillas y salsa", "Torillas y salsa y guacamole"}
Dim lbl As Label
For n As Int32 = 0 To texts.Length - 1
lbl = New Label
lbl.Text = texts(n)
' more important than autozise, probably:
lbl.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
' debug: to see the border for tweaking
lbl.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle
' add the one you created to the controls collection
tlp1.Controls.Add(lbl, 0, n)
Next

Fitting runtime buttons inside a form

I have a number of buttons between 5-20 and it's variable each time the form loads based on the user settings. I am trying to fit all these buttons on my form no matter what the size of the form is. The buttons are generated during runtime. I would like the first button to be 20 points from the top bar (at any size) and the rest of the buttons simply to fit in the form. This is what I have now but I have to maximize the form to view them all and also while I'm expanding the form the space between the buttons decreases and they overlap with each other whereas they should keep a relative distance. Any ideas?
Dim iButtonWidth, iButtonHeight, iVerticalSpace As Integer
If UserButtons.Count > 0 Then
iButtonHeight = Me.Size.Height - (Me.Size.Height * 0.85)
iButtonWidth = Me.Size.Width - (Me.Size.Width * 0.5)
iVerticalSpace = iButtonHeight / 3
For Each btn In UserButtons
btn.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(iButtonWidth, iButtonHeight)
btn.Location = New Point(20, 20 + btn.TabIndex * iVerticalSpace * 3)
Next
End If
Here's a quick example using the TableLayoutPanel to play with:
Public Class Form1
Private UserButtons As New List(Of Button)
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Static R As New Random
Dim NumButtons As Integer = R.Next(5, 21) ' "a number of buttons between 5-20 and it's variable each time"
UserButtons.Clear()
For i As Integer = 1 To NumButtons
Dim btn As New Button()
btn.Text = i.ToString("00")
btn.Dock = DockStyle.Fill ' Optional: See how you like it with this on vs. off
UserButtons.Add(btn)
Next
DisplayButtons()
End Sub
Private Sub DisplayButtons()
TableLayoutPanel1.SuspendLayout()
TableLayoutPanel1.Controls.Clear()
TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Clear()
TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount = 5 ' Fixed Number of Columns
For i As Integer = 1 To TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount
TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnStyles.Add(New ColumnStyle(SizeType.Percent, 911)) ' the size doesn't matter here, as long as they are all the same
Next
' Variable Number of Rows:
Dim RowsRequired As Integer = ((UserButtons.Count - 1) \ TableLayoutPanel1.ColumnCount) + 1 ' Integer Division
TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Clear()
TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount = RowsRequired
For i As Integer = 1 To TableLayoutPanel1.RowCount
TableLayoutPanel1.RowStyles.Add(New RowStyle(SizeType.Percent, 911)) ' the size doesn't matter here, as long as they are all the same
Next
TableLayoutPanel1.Controls.AddRange(UserButtons.ToArray)
TableLayoutPanel1.ResumeLayout()
End Sub
End Class
First of all what kind of container are the buttons in? You should be able to set the container's AutoScroll property to true - then when controls within it spill out of the visible bounds you will get a scroll bar.
Then also what you could do is draw each button in more of a table with a certain number next to each other before dropping down to the next line (instead of just 1 button on each line). If that is an option that works for you then you could get more buttons within the visible space.
I happen to have an example to do the same thing with picture boxes (and text boxes under each picture box). Hope this helps:
Dim point As New Point(0, 0)
'create 11 picture and text boxes-you can make this number the number your user selects.
Dim box(11) As PictureBox
Dim text(11) As TextBox
Dim i As UInt16
For i = 0 To 11 'or whatever your number is
box(i) = New PictureBox
box(i).Width = 250 'your button width
box(i).Height = 170 'your button height
box(i).BorderStyle = BorderStyle.FixedSingle
box(i).Location = point
layoutsPanel.Controls.Add(box(i)) 'my container is a panel
text(i) = New TextBox
text(i).Height = 50
text(i).Width = 250
point.Y += box(i).Height
text(i).Location = (point)
layoutsPanel.Controls.Add(text(i))
point.Y -= box(i).Height 'reset Y for next picture box
'Put 4 picture boxes in a row, then move down to next row
If i Mod 4 = 3 Then
point.X = 0
point.Y += box(i).Height + text(i).Height + 4
Else
point.X += box(i).Width + 4
End If
Next

How can I create a loop that reveals a certain number of labels?

I want to be able to reveal and then populate a certain number of labels. The inefficient way would be to SELECT CASE on the number of labels required and then populate these in turn. I am looking for something like this:
For i = 1 to RequiredNumOfLabels
Label & i.visible = true
Label & i.text = DataTable.Rows(i).Item(2)
Next
Thank you.
EDIT:
For i = 1 To NumberOfItems
Dim lbl = Controls("lbl" & i)
lbl.Visible = True
lbl.Text = CStr(DataTable.Rows(i).Item(2))
Next
I think the line
Dim lbl = Controls("lbl" & i)
is the problem as after the line is executed, lbl still equals nothing.
The reasoning behind it is that I was trying to create an invoice generator in vb.net and I was hoping that this would be a simple way to do it - count the amount of items in the order, populate the labels with the names of the items, reveal that many labels.
If your label controls are really in order like that, you can try just referencing them from a list:
Dim myLabels As New List(Of Label)
myLabels.Add(Label1)
myLabels.Add(Label2)
Then just update them:
For i as Integer = 1 to myLabels.Count
myLabels(i - 1).Visible = True
myLabels(i - 1).Text = DataTable.Rows(i).Item(2).ToString
Next
You can get controls by name through the forms Controls property
For i = 1 To RequiredNumOfLabels
Dim lbl = TryCast(Controls("Label" & i), Label)
If lbl IsNot Nothing Then
lbl.Visible = True
lbl.Text = CStr(DataTable.Rows(i).Item(2))
End If
Next
Since you get an object of type Control, you have to cast it to Label.
UPDATE
It seems that you only use properties that are defined in Control anyway. Therfore you can simplify the code to
For i = 1 To RequiredNumOfLabels
Dim lbl = Controls("Label" & i)
lbl.Visible = True
lbl.Text = CStr(DataTable.Rows(i).Item(2))
Next