Random Numbers to Text in Label - vb.net

Question

Public Class MainForm
Private Sub exitButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles exitButton.Click
Me.Close()
End Sub
Private Sub guestsTextBox_KeyPress(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyPressEventArgs) Handles guestsTextBox.KeyPress
' allows only numbers and the Backspace key
If (e.KeyChar < "0" OrElse e.KeyChar > "9") AndAlso
e.KeyChar <> ControlChars.Back Then
e.Handled = True
End If
End Sub
Private Sub MainForm_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
'fills the list box and selects the first item
typeListBox.Items.Add("Kid's Birthday")
typeListBox.Items.Add("21st Birthday")
typeListBox.Items.Add("40th Birthday")
typeListBox.Items.Add("Other Birthday")
typeListBox.SelectedIndex = 0
End Sub
Private Sub calcButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles calcButton.Click
'displays the total charge
Dim guests As Integer
Dim typeIndex As Integer
Dim guestPrice As Integer
Dim totalCharge As Integer
Integer.TryParse(guestsTextBox.Text, guests)
typeIndex = typeListBox.SelectedIndex
'determine the price per guest
Select Case typeIndex
Case 0 'Kid's Birthday
guestPrice = 11
Case 1 '21st Birthday
guestPrice = 20
Case 2 '40th Birthday
guestPrice = 25
Case Else 'other birthdays
guestPrice = 15
End Select
'calculate and display the total charge
totalCharge = guests * guestPrice
totalLabel.Text = totalCharge.ToString("C0")
End Sub
Private Sub testDataButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles testDataButton.Click
Dim guests As Integer
Dim typeIndex As Integer
Dim guestPrice As Integer
Dim totalCharge As Integer
Dim randomGen As New Random
Dim setCounter As Integer = 1
testDataLabel.Text = String.Empty
Do
guests = randomGen.Next(1, 51)
typeIndex = randomGen.Next(0, 4)
For Each I As Object In typeListBox.SelectedItems
testDataLabel.Text += I.ToString() & ControlChars.NewLine
Next
'determine the price per guest
Select Case typeListBox.SelectedIndex
Case 0
guestPrice = 11
Case 1
guestPrice = 20
Case 2
guestPrice = 25
Case Else
guestPrice = 15
End Select
'calculate and display the total charge
totalCharge = guests * guestPrice
testDataLabel.Text = testDataLabel.Text &
typeIndex.ToString & " " &
guests.ToString & " " &
totalCharge.ToString("C0") &
ControlChars.NewLine
setCounter += 1
Loop Until setCounter > 10
End Sub
Private Sub typeListBox_SelectedIndexChanged(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles typeListBox.SelectedIndexChanged
End Sub
End Class
When I click on a button named "Generate Test Data" It generates a list of random numbers in a label. I want these numbers to say the type of birthday instead of the number.
0 being "Kid's Birthday"
1 being "21st Birthday"
2 being "40th Birthday"
and 3 being "Other Birthday"
How would I go about doing this?
Any help would be much appreciated!

Answer 1

If I understood your question correctly, you can declare an enum and have a dictionary of that enum to String.
The Enum takes care of dealing with numbers in code, and rather use human readable constructs. Dictionary will make sure your users will also see human readable constructs.
Please see below code (needs a brand new WinForms project and a ListBox called ListBox1 on the main form):
Option Strict On
Public Class Form1
'Declare this enum to avoid dealing with naked numbers in code
Enum BirthdayTypes
btKids = 0
bt21st = 1
bt40th = 2
btOther = 3
End Enum
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles MyBase.Load
'Suppose your input value is a number,
'but you don't want to deal with numbers
Dim typeIndex As Integer = 2
'You can convert your number to BirthdayTypes,
'making your input "correct"
Dim typeIndexBt As BirthdayTypes = ConvertBirthdayIndexToType(typeIndex)
'Calculation of guest price is now "human readable"
Dim guestPrice As Integer = CalculateGuestPrice(typeIndexBt)
'You can create a dictionary for diplaying the values
Dim displayDictionary As New Dictionary(Of BirthdayTypes, String)
With displayDictionary
.Add(BirthdayTypes.btKids, "Kid's Birthday")
.Add(BirthdayTypes.bt21st, "21st Birthday")
.Add(BirthdayTypes.bt40th, "40th Birthday")
.Add(BirthdayTypes.btOther, "Other Birthday")
End With
'Here is how you would those values into a ListBox
With ListBox1
.DataSource = displayDictionary.ToList
.ValueMember = "Key"
.DisplayMember = "Value"
End With
'Now your ListBox displays strings,
'but SelectedValue would return an object of type BirthdayTypes
'You can extract random values from the above dictionary by index,
'and create a new list from it
Debug.WriteLine(ListBox1.SelectedValue) 'outputs btKids
End Sub
Private Function CalculateGuestPrice(bt As BirthdayTypes) As Integer
Select Case bt
Case BirthdayTypes.btKids : Return 11
Case BirthdayTypes.bt21st : Return 20
Case BirthdayTypes.bt40th : Return 25
Case BirthdayTypes.btOther : Return 15
End Select
'should never here
Throw New Exception("Unknown birthday type")
End Function
Private Function ConvertBirthdayIndexToType(index As Integer) As BirthdayTypes
If index < 3 Then Return CType(index, BirthdayTypes)
Return BirthdayTypes.btOther
End Function
End Class
Disclaimer: this code is just a demo of what can be done, not meant to be used a complete solution.

Answer 2

I would use a string.
Dim thestring() As String = {"Kid's Birthday", _
"21st Birthday", _
"40th Birthday", _
"Other Birthday"}
Now each of those numbers will represent the text in thestring.
thestring(0) = kids birthday
thestring(1) = 21 birthday
thestring(2) = 40th birthday
thestring(3) = other birthday
Make sense? I would help further, but i don't quite get what you are trying to do.