How to create strongly typed list class in vb.net - vb.net

Question

I hate to admit this but I am new to object oriented programming in VB.NET. I have a class object called Subscriber.vb which works OK but I'd like to create a "set" or list of these objects. Could someone please help me leverage the following code to create a list of the subscribers so a "consumer" could loop through this list of subscribers? Here is what I have so far:
Public Class Subscriber
Public Sub New(ByVal theSubscriberID As Int32)
Dim sConnDatabase As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("DatabaseConnString").ConnectionString
Dim connection As New SqlConnection(sConnDatabase)
Dim cmd As SqlCommand
Try
cmd = New SqlCommand("GetSubscriberInfo_v", connection)
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("#SubscriberID", theSubscriberID)
connection.Open()
Dim objReader As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
Do While objReader.Read()
SetObjectData(objReader)
Loop
objReader.Close()
connection.Close()
Catch ex As Exception
Throw
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub SetObjectData(ByVal theObjReader As SqlDataReader)
Try
Me._ID = Convert.ToInt32(theObjReader("SubscriberID"))
Me._NameForLogon = theObjReader("SubscriberName").ToString()
Me._NameInFull = theObjReader("SubscriberNameFull").ToString()
Me._DaysUntilExpired = Convert.ToInt32(theObjReader("DaysUntilExpired"))
Me._SignupDate = theObjReader("SignupDate")
Me._ExpirationDate = theObjReader("ExpirationDate")
Me._SubscriberPhone = theObjReader("SubscriberPhone").ToString()
Me._MostRecentRenewal = theObjReader("MostRecentRenewal")
Me._CumulativeRevenue = Convert.ToDecimal(theObjReader("CumulativeRevenue"))
Me._NumberOfRenewals = theObjReader("NumberOfRenewals")
Me._SubscriptionStatusCode = theObjReader("SubscriptionStatusCode")
Me._SubscriptionStatus = theObjReader("SubscriptionStatus").ToString()
Me._NotificationStatusCode = theObjReader("NotificationStatusCode")
Me._NotificationStatus = theObjReader("NotificationStatus")
Catch ex As Exception
Throw
End Try
End Sub
End Class
I did not show the getters and setters. This has to be restricted to Visual Studio 2008 unfortunately. For a few reasons, we cannot upgrade this environment.
What would be the best practice here? Add a Public Class SubscriberList to the Subscriber.vb file or should it be a separate file? More importantly, I am stuck on how to take what I have an create a proper list. Then the caller would create an instance of the SubscriberList object. Please help me get started. Thanks.
EDIT: Here is what I came up with thanks to your idea (I'm thinking of adding some overloaded constructors which might filter the data some various ways...would that be a good practice?):
Public Class SubscriberList
Public Sub New()
Dim sConnDatabase As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("DatabaseConnString").ConnectionString
Dim connection As New SqlConnection(sConnDatabase)
Dim cmd As SqlCommand
Dim oSubscriberList As New List(Of Subscriber)
cmd = New SqlCommand("GetSubscriberInfo_v", connection)
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
connection.Open()
Dim objReader As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
Do While objReader.Read()
Dim id As Integer = objReader("SubscriberID")
Dim s As Subscriber = New Subscriber(id)
oSubscriberList.Add(s)
Loop
objReader.Close()
connection.Close()
End Sub
End Class
New error trying to use:
Dim allSubscribers As New SubscriberList
For Each Subscriber In allSubscribers
' allSubscribers is not declared
Next
Why not declared ? Confused rookie mistake I am sure...
EDIT (Number 2):
Changed name from SubscriberList to Subscribers plural & got this working (see below) - but I am very puzzled by the advice to remove the database connection and query from the constructor(s) and place in separate class(es). I was picturing adding overloaded constructors to Subscriber (and Subscribers). I cannot imagine how the constructors of each would get their respective data.
Public Class Subscribers
Implements IEnumerable(Of Subscriber)
#Region "properties"
Public List As New List(Of Subscriber)
#End Region
Public Function GetEnumerator() As IEnumerator(Of Subscriber) _
Implements IEnumerable(Of Subscriber).GetEnumerator
Return List.GetEnumerator()
End Function
Private Function GetEnumerator1() As IEnumerator _
Implements IEnumerable.GetEnumerator
Return List.GetEnumerator()
End Function
Public Sub New()
Dim sConnDatabase As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("DatabaseConnString").ConnectionString
Dim connection As New SqlConnection(sConnDatabase)
Dim cmd As SqlCommand
cmd = New SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM dbo.Subscriber_v", connection)
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text
connection.Open()
Dim objReader As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
Do While objReader.Read()
Dim id As Integer = objReader("SubscriberID")
Dim s As Subscriber = New Subscriber(id)
List.Add(s)
Loop
objReader.Close()
connection.Close()
End Sub
End Class

Answer 1

In VB you can make a list of a custom object.
dim oSubscriberList as new List(of Subscriber)
Then you can instantiate new subscribers and add them to the list
oSubscriberList.add('add object here')
This is probably the most simple, quick and dirty way to handle it. You can also create a separate class to create a collection of your object. "Best" practices, if you want to follow SOLID programming principles and use test driven development, would point you towards making a separate collection class to deal with it, but it isnt necessary.
EDIT: as per comment below
You dont need to create a subscriberlist class. Just create a regular list of Subscribers and add them to the list as so. Do this where you are wanting to create this list (form load, some event, etc.)
Dim oSubscriberList as NEW List(of Subscriber)
Dim sConnDatabase As String = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("DatabaseConnString").ConnectionString
Dim connection As New SqlConnection(sConnDatabase)
Dim cmd As SqlCommand
cmd = New SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM dbo.Subscriber_v", connection)
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.Text
connection.Open()
Dim objReader As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
while objReader.Read()
oSubscriberList.Add(New Subscriber(objReader("SubscriberID"))
end while
'additional cleanup steps here
Then you can just iterate over you list as so:
For each sub as Subscriber in oSubscriberList
'do something
Next