vb.net deleting lots of dynamically created buttons - vb.net

Question

I'm a new programmer to vb.net, so apologise for what is likely to be ignorance.
I’m building a simple gui for a database interface, with many parent and child items within it. Upon a form I create buttons depending on how many items (parents/children). I've got the creation of the buttons thus:
For RowNumber As Integer = 0 To NoOfRows
Dim Buttoni As New Button
Buttoni.Location = New Point(LocationX, LocationY)
Buttoni.Width = 100
Buttoni.Height = 40
Buttoni.Visible = True
Buttoni.Text = DatasetA.Tables(0).Rows(RowNumber).Item("Name")
ButtonName = "Button" + RowNumber.ToString
If LocationX < FormWidth - (SpacePerButtonX * 2) Then
LocationX = LocationX + SpacePerButtonX
Else
LocationX = 50
LocationY = LocationY + SpacePerButtonY
End If
AddHandler Buttoni.Click, AddressOf DynamicButtonClick
Me.Controls.Add(Buttoni)
Buttoni.BringToFront() 'brings newest buttons to front!
Next
But I’m struggling with a way to delete the buttons to make way for a new set to replace them... I can delete a single one upon its click, but I’d like to delete all of the buttons that have been created in this way before re-creating them.
I hope that makes sense and there is a fairly simple way to accomplish this..?

Answer 1

I will add, in your creation loop, some value to the Tag property.
This will help to differentiate the buttons created dinamically from the buttons created statically in your form.
Buttoni.Tag = 1
Then, to delete a button, loop in reverse order on the Me.Controls collection,
check if you get a button and if the Tag property IsNot Nothing
For x as Integer = Me.Controls.Count - 1 to 0 step -1)
Dim b as Button = TryCast(Me.Controls(x), Button)
If b IsNot Nothing AndAlso b.Tag IsNot Nothing then
b.Dispose() '' NOTE: disposing the button also removes it
End If
Next

Answer 2

It's hard to know exactly what you want to do. I guess you could just use the same technique in reverse, something like
For i As Integer = Me.Controls.Count - 1 To 0 Step -1
Dim ctrl = Me.Controls(i)
If TypeOf (ctrl) Is Button Then
ctrl.Dispose() '' NOTE: disposing the control also removes it
End If
Next

Answer 3

Create a button and delete it with double click!
Easy Code :
Dim b As New Button
Private btn As Button ' this is a reference object
Private ptX, ptY As Integer
Private drag As Boolean
Private Sub nodebtn_MouseDown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs)
If e.Clicks = 2 Then
b.Dispose()
End If
If e.Button = MouseButtons.Left Then
drag = True
btn = CType(sender, Button)
ptX = e.X : ptY = e.Y
End If
End Sub
Private Sub nodebtn_MouseMove(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs)
If drag Then
btn.Location = New Point(btn.Location.X + e.X - ptX, btn.Location.Y + e.Y - ptY)
Me.Refresh()
End If
End Sub
Private Sub nodebtn_MouseUp(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs)
drag = False
End Sub
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
b.Location = New Point(10, 10)
b.Size = New Size(110, 29)
b.BringToFront()
b.Text = "Button"
AddHandler b.MouseDown, AddressOf nodebtn_MouseDown
AddHandler b.MouseMove, AddressOf nodebtn_MouseMove
AddHandler b.MouseUp, AddressOf nodebtn_MouseUp
Me.Controls.Add(b)
End Sub