Re: [Gambas-user] Control arrays

[Rob <sou...@ku...>]

On Sunday 20 July 2003 18:41, Ahmad Kamal wrote:
> Thnx A LOT, Rob, but could u plz show how to put them in a group with c=
ode,
> in my specific case(labels)? I am new to not making an array graphicall=
y.

Setting the group of a control must be done at control creation time.  Th=
at=20
means, if you create the control graphically you need to do it graphicall=
y=20
(in the Properties dialog) and if you want to set the group in code you a=
lso=20
have to create the control in code.

In your case you would want to do something like this, supposing 100x100=20
labels (please refer to one of the Tips of the Day which has the exact sy=
ntax=20
for grouping, if mine doesn't compile):

Public Labels as Object[]

and then in the form load event handler

dim tmpLabel as Label
labels =3D new Object[]

tmpLabel =3D new Label(ME) as "Labels"
tmpLabel.Move(0,0,100,100)
tmpLabel.Text =3D "text of label 0"
labels.Add(tmpLabel) ' this will add label 0

tmpLabel =3D new Label(ME) as "Labels"
tmpLabel.Move(100,0,100,100)
tmpLabel.Text =3D "text of label 1"
labels.Add(tmpLabel) ' this will add label 1

=2E..

tmpLabel =3D new Label(ME) as "Labels"
tmpLabel.Move(200,200,100,100)
tmpLabel.Text =3D "text of label 8"
labels.Add(tmpLabel) ' this will add label 8

Then when it's time to set the event handlers,

Public Sub Labels_Click()

=09... your handler code...

END

Obviously it's a lot more code intensive than just being able to set the =
index=20
in the form designer, but it can be done.  It actually works much better =
if=20
you have like a hundred controls to create because then it's more efficie=
nt=20
to do it in a loop. =20

I guess what would be ideal as a workaround for the lack of design time=20
control arrays would be either (a) a collection or object array automatic=
ally=20
populated with the contents of the corresponding group name, or (b) the=20
ability to add controls to a given array and set the index independently =
of=20
the group feature.  I think either could be implemented in the IDE (via c=
ode=20
automatically generated and added to the form's class file) without needi=
ng=20
changes to the language, if this proves unwieldy at the language level.  =
(a)=20
was pretty much how I mean to do it in my .frm to .form/.class converter=20
which isn't really doing much of use yet, but (b) would probably work bet=
ter=20
for non-converted forms (since if you're converting from a VB project you=
=20
already know which index each control is supposed to have.)

Rob