Better way to load user controls into panel in Windows app?

[Ronald S. Cook]

I lost my last post, but I'm looking for a better way to manage loading user
controls (that are essentially forms) in a Windows app.

In my current design, I have a ListBar in which the user selects an item. I
then call a sub to loop through and remove any user control that may exist
in the panel. But then I have a wordy select statement to load up the user
control selected.

Isn't there a better way?

Thanks,
Ron
Private Sub ulbNav_ItemSele cted(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
Infragistics.Wi n.UltraWinListB ar.ItemEventArg s) Handles ulbNav.ItemSele cted

RemoveExitingUs erControls()

Select Case e.Item.Key

Case "keyTesting_Vie wCountryList"

If _uctTesting_Vie wCountryList Is Nothing Then

_uctTesting_Vie wCountryList = New uctTesting_View CountryList

_uctTesting_Vie wCountryList.Pa rent = splContainer.Pa nel2

End If

Case "keyTesting_SQL ReportViewer"

If _uctTesting_SQL ReportViewer Is Nothing Then

_uctTesting_SQL ReportViewer = New uctTesting_SQLR eportViewer

_uctTesting_SQL ReportViewer.Pa rent = splContainer.Pa nel2

End If

Case "keyTesting_Cal culateDrivingDi stance"

If _uctTesting_Cal culateDrivingDi stance Is Nothing Then

_uctTesting_Cal culateDrivingDi stance = New
uctTesting_Calc ulateDrivingDis tance

_uctTesting_Cal culateDrivingDi stance.Parent = splContainer.Pa nel2

End If

End Select

End Sub

[jayeldee]

On Feb 22, 12:34 pm, "Ronald S. Cook" <r...@westinis. comwrote:

I lost my last post, but I'm looking for a better way to manage loading user
controls (that are essentially forms) in a Windows app.

In my current design, I have a ListBar in which the user selects an item. I
then call a sub to loop through and remove any user control that may exist
in the panel. But then I have a wordy select statement to load up the user
control selected.

Isn't there a better way?

In your RemoveExitingUs erControls() sub, you could just do a
myPanel.Control s.Clear to remove the existing User Controls on the
panel, then do the myPanel.Control s.Add() for the next user control.

To avoid the messy select statement, you could use a custom class to
house each item in the ListView and initialize them during the form
load.

I'm not familiar with the type of List Control you're using, but I'm
assuming it behaves a bit like a ListBox and you can add custom items
to it and that it will call the ToString of your custom class to
figure out what text to display.

Class would look like:

Public Class MyListItem
Public Name As String
Public Control As Control

Public Overrides Function ToString() As String
Return Name
End Function
End Class

Form Code would look like:
Public Class Form1

Dim viewCountryList As New MyListItem
Dim sqlReportViewer As New MyListItem
Dim CalculateDrivin gDistance As New MyListItem

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVa l sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles Me.Load
' Initialize ViewCountryList
_uctTesting_Vie wCountryList = New uctTesting_View CountryList
viewCountryList .Control = _uctTesting_Vie wCountryList
viewCountryList .Name = "Country List"

' Initialize SQLReportViewer
sqlReportViewer .Control = _uctTesting_SQL ReportViewer
_uctTesting_SQL ReportViewer = New uctTesting_SQLR eportViewer
sqlReportViewer .Name = "Report Viewer"

' Initialize CalculateDrivin gDistance
CalculateDrivin gDistance.Contr ol = New
uctTesting_Calc ulateDrivingDis tance
_uctTesting_Cal culateDrivingDi stance = New
uctTesting_Calc ulateDrivingDis tance
CalculateDrivin gDistance.Name = "Calculate Driving Distance"

' Add each MyListItem to the List control
ulbNav.Items.Ad d(viewCountryLi st)
ulbNav.Items.Ad d(sqlReportView er)
ulbNav.Items.Ad d(CalculateDriv ingDistance)

End Sub

Private Sub ulbNav_ItemSele cted(ByVal sender As System.Object,
ByVal e As
Infragistics.Wi n.UltraWinListB ar.ItemEventArg s) Handles
ulbNav.ItemSele cted

Dim selectedListIte m As MyListItem

RemoveExitingUs erControls()

' Convert the generic Object to the MyListItem type
selectedListIte m = CType(e.Item, MyListItem)

' Add the control
splContainer.Pa nel2.Controls.A dd(selectedList Item.Control)

End Sub

Private Sub RemoveExitingUs erControls()
splContainer.Pa nel2.Controls.C lear()
End Sub

End Class

[Ronald S. Cook]

Jayeldee,

Thanks for the response. But, when I run this I get:

Unable to cast object of type 'Infragistics.W in.UltraWinList Bar.Item' to
type 'FRC.COW.Feedya rd.MyListItem'.

... at run-time when it hits the line:

selectedListIte m = CType(e.Item, MyListItem)

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ron


"jayeldee" <ja******@gmail .comwrote in message
news:11******** **************@ p10g2000cwp.goo glegroups.com.. .

On Feb 22, 12:34 pm, "Ronald S. Cook" <r...@westinis. comwrote:

>I lost my last post, but I'm looking for a better way to manage loading
user
controls (that are essentially forms) in a Windows app.

In my current design, I have a ListBar in which the user selects an item.
I
then call a sub to loop through and remove any user control that may
exist
in the panel. But then I have a wordy select statement to load up the
user
control selected.

Isn't there a better way?

In your RemoveExitingUs erControls() sub, you could just do a
myPanel.Control s.Clear to remove the existing User Controls on the
panel, then do the myPanel.Control s.Add() for the next user control.

To avoid the messy select statement, you could use a custom class to
house each item in the ListView and initialize them during the form
load.

I'm not familiar with the type of List Control you're using, but I'm
assuming it behaves a bit like a ListBox and you can add custom items
to it and that it will call the ToString of your custom class to
figure out what text to display.

Class would look like:

Public Class MyListItem
Public Name As String
Public Control As Control

Public Overrides Function ToString() As String
Return Name
End Function
End Class

Form Code would look like:
Public Class Form1

Dim viewCountryList As New MyListItem
Dim sqlReportViewer As New MyListItem
Dim CalculateDrivin gDistance As New MyListItem

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVa l sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles Me.Load
' Initialize ViewCountryList
_uctTesting_Vie wCountryList = New uctTesting_View CountryList
viewCountryList .Control = _uctTesting_Vie wCountryList
viewCountryList .Name = "Country List"

' Initialize SQLReportViewer
sqlReportViewer .Control = _uctTesting_SQL ReportViewer
_uctTesting_SQL ReportViewer = New uctTesting_SQLR eportViewer
sqlReportViewer .Name = "Report Viewer"

' Initialize CalculateDrivin gDistance
CalculateDrivin gDistance.Contr ol = New
uctTesting_Calc ulateDrivingDis tance
_uctTesting_Cal culateDrivingDi stance = New
uctTesting_Calc ulateDrivingDis tance
CalculateDrivin gDistance.Name = "Calculate Driving Distance"

' Add each MyListItem to the List control
ulbNav.Items.Ad d(viewCountryLi st)
ulbNav.Items.Ad d(sqlReportView er)
ulbNav.Items.Ad d(CalculateDriv ingDistance)

End Sub

Private Sub ulbNav_ItemSele cted(ByVal sender As System.Object,
ByVal e As
Infragistics.Wi n.UltraWinListB ar.ItemEventArg s) Handles
ulbNav.ItemSele cted

Dim selectedListIte m As MyListItem

RemoveExitingUs erControls()

' Convert the generic Object to the MyListItem type
selectedListIte m = CType(e.Item, MyListItem)

' Add the control
splContainer.Pa nel2.Controls.A dd(selectedList Item.Control)

End Sub

Private Sub RemoveExitingUs erControls()
splContainer.Pa nel2.Controls.C lear()
End Sub

End Class

[jayeldee]

On Mar 19, 2:06 pm, "Ronald S. Cook" <r...@westinis. comwrote:

Jayeldee,

Thanks for the response. But, when I run this I get:

Unable to cast object of type 'Infragistics.W in.UltraWinList Bar.Item' to
type 'FRC.COW.Feedya rd.MyListItem'.

.. at run-time when it hits the line:

selectedListIte m = CType(e.Item, MyListItem)

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ron

Ron,

Sorry about that Exception. It's more than likely from me not being
familiar with the types of controls you're using.

Do the items in the ListBar have a Tag property where you could put
the custom object? It seems they don't use the same method that a
standard ListBox does when adding custom objects to it.