Creating new objects at runtime - Xtreme Visual Basic Talk

11-15-2009, 04:07 PM

james2k2

Junior Contributor

Join Date: Oct 2002

Posts: 349

Creating new objects at runtime

Hi All,

Firstly, apologies if this is in the wrong section.

I have written the code below:

Code:

Private Function NewObject(ObjType As String, ObjName As String)
Dim NewObj As Control

If ObjType = "List" Then
    NewObj = ObjName
    Set NewObj = Me.Controls.Add("VB.TextBox", "Text1", Me)
    NewObj.Visible = True
End If
End Function

And basically, it won't work. I am trying to make an application that can take commands from an ini file to do things such as dynamically add controls and manipulate these after creation. For this reason, i need a user to be able to specify a controls name in the ini file so that my application can keep track of this control. I fear the problem lies with me not being able to use a variable as an identifier. My only other thought currently is to create an initial control for all the controls i'm allowing on the form and set an index as 0 and then creating new controls from this. Then to track them, i use say the 'Tag' property. The problem i face with this method is lots of potential memory usage for no reason and i need this app to be as quick as possible with VB6.

Many thanks for reading.

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Last edited by james2k2; 11-15-2009 at 04:08 PM. Reason: Missed the thanks

11-16-2009, 09:47 AM

emartinho

Centurion

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Posts: 194

Hi,
I slightly modified your code and it worked fine.

Code:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    NewObject "List", "Abc123"
End Sub


Private Sub NewObject(ObjType As String, ObjName As String)
Dim NewObj As Control
If ObjType = "List" Then
'    NewObj = ObjName <-- Not necessary??
    Set NewObj = Me.Controls.Add("VB.TextBox", ObjName) '<-- No need to specify a container since you want the 
'control on Me. If you wanted it on another form, then you'd need to pass that form's object in the 3rd parameter.

    NewObj.Visible = True
    msgbox NewObj.Name
End If
End Sub

This created a textbox in the top left of my form whose name is "Abc123".

Hope this helps.
-EM

11-16-2009, 10:24 AM

james2k2

Junior Contributor

Join Date: Oct 2002

Posts: 349

Hello,
Thanks for your reply. My next issue is the following: Say i want to modify the object later (i.e. move it, resize it etc...), how would i go about that without directly specifying the objects name, i.e. I can have another function called ModifyObject(ObjName as String, ObjCommand as String, CommandValue as String). And then from this be able to perform any function I require.

Kind regards.

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11-16-2009, 12:20 PM

emartinho

Centurion

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Posts: 194

You should put separate issues in separate threads, that way you get the most exposure.

Good luck.
-EM

11-16-2009, 12:47 PM

Flyguy

Lost Soul

Super Moderator
* Guru *

Join Date: May 2001

Location: Vorlon

Posts: 18,884

I would go for control arrays.
All events are there and you can easily access the loaded controls and all the events are raised in "normal" event code.

11-17-2009, 01:45 AM

james2k2

Junior Contributor

Join Date: Oct 2002

Posts: 349

Yeah, from a code point of view, using control arrays is probably the way forward. I suppose i can just use the 'Tag' property to store the controls name for reference.

Many thanks to both of you.

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