Initialize not properly make with classes vb.net - vb.net

Question

So, I need to do an program for a client and he wants a search bar in it. So I made it and everything worked perfectly but I put it in my main form. Now, I want to put it in a class but when I initialize the program, it gives me the following error
An error occurred while creating the form. For more information,
see Exception.InnerException. The error is: The form is self-reference during
construction from a default instance, which led to infinite recursion. In the
constructor of the form, refer to the form using 'Me'.
I tried to put Me.Rbtn_X... but it doesn't recognize it.
Initialization
' Main form
Public Sub New()
InitializeComponent()
Initialize_search()
End Sub
Initialize_search()
' Main form
' search is initialize like this :
' Dim search as New Research
Private Sub Initialize_search()
search.generate_autocomplete()
End Sub
generate_autocomplete()
' Research class
Sub generate_autocomplete()
' Main_form = Main form
Dim field = ""
' This is the place where the program fail
If Main_form.RbtnR_avancee_contact.Checked Then
field = "personneressource"
Else
field = "beneficiaire"
End if
' ....
End Sub
Is there something I didn't understand or It's not possible to do it that way?
Edit: added Form_shown event
Public Sub New()
InitializeComponent()
' Initialize_search()
End Sub
Private Sub Form_personne_Shown(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Shown
MessageBox.Show("You are in the Form.Shown event.")
End Sub

Answer 1

The form is not created (fully) until New completes. By adding your Initialize_search to it, it eventually leads to the statement `Main_form.RbtnR_avancee_contact.Checked'. This is wrong on two counts:
1) the form doesnt exist yet, so you cant refer to it. (this is what the error meant with 'form is self-reference during construction')
2) the ref should be Me.RbtnR (which is what it meant by 'refer to the form using 'Me'')
Move your Initialize_search to the Form_shown event. Your code should look like this (including Lar's suggestion)
' Main form
Public Sub New()
' REQUIRED
InitializeComponent()
End Sub
If there is really something that needs to be setup for this, add it to the form_shown event:
Private Sub Form1_Shown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles Me.Shown
' NOTE: even .NET refers to ME not MainForm etc
InitializePanel
InitializeSeach
End Sub
Then:
Private Sub Initialize_search()
search.generate_autocomplete(Me.RbtnR_avancee_contact.Checked)
End Sub
Then:
Sub generate_autocomplete(AdvContact as Boolean)
Dim field AS STRING = ""
If AdvContact Then
field = "personneressource"
Else
field = "beneficiaire"
End if
' ....
End Sub

Answer 2

Your search class doesn't have a reference to the instance of the form's controls.
Try passing the value instead:
Sub generate_autocomplete(advancedChecked As Boolean)
Dim field As String = ""
If advancedChecked Then
field = "personneressource"
Else
field = "beneficiaire"
End if
End Sub
Then when you call it:
search.generate_autocomplete(Me.RbtnR_avancee_contact.Checked)

Answer 3

Even if did work like you want it to, according to your code, it would always result in field containing the same value (whichever was set in designer).
Instead, try putting this code inside RbtnR_avancee_contact.Checked event. Or even TextChanged for the autocomplete box (and initialize it for the first time user enters anything), it would examine the checked state and populate autocomplete items.
With this approach, if your user never uses the search box, you don't need to initialize it.