using a variable to open a new form?

[Netnoobie]

Hello all, question. I am returning a string that contains a form name. This form name is the same as a form that needs to be opened. I really don't want to hardcode the form names and whatnot for future changes.

 

like:

Dim frmString as String

Dim objFrm as new frmString

objFrm.Show

 

...something like that. Is there a way to do this?

 

Thanks.

Bryan

[decrypt]

what like

 Dim frmString As New NameofFormtobeopened 'Declare this between subs
frmString.show ' and this in the sub like button1_click 

[PlausiblyDamp]

Any reason why you want to do it this way? After all all the form names are compiled into your exe anyway so you will need a recompile to change / add a form.....

 

But here is one possible way

 

Dim s As String = "WindowsApplication1.Form3"
Dim f As Form

Dim fType As Type = Type.GetType(s)
f = System.Activator.CreateInstance(fType)
f.Show()

[Netnoobie]

Any reason why you want to do it this way? After all all the form names are compiled into your exe anyway so you will need a recompile to change / add a form.....

 

That's actually a very good point.

 

Thanks.

[NK2000]

not always true, with .net framework you can be very flexible, i know many tools which generate their ui just from a xml file..

 

also games like AoE/RoN do that..

[PlausiblyDamp]

Loading a layout from an XML file is fairly easy - however this would not introduce a new form class into the executable which is what the question would seem to be refering to.

 

If there is a need to load forms dynamically there are ways to achieve this (reflection being a good one).

 

XML will allow you to alter the layout but would give no easy way to provide code / event handling as far as I'm aware.

[NK2000]

that was just an example

i know tools which compile at runtime a c# file and so you could have your new form, but i think i missunderstood the poster, maybe because i didnt catch the aim of form loading..

[dynamic_sysop]

here's a quick example i knocked up for you ...

       Dim frm As String = Application.ProductName & ".Form2" '/// your form's name ( as a string ) where it says Form2 ( keeping the . there
       Dim o As Object = Activator.CreateInstanceFrom(Application.ExecutablePath, frm).Unwrap

       o.GetType.InvokeMember("Show", Reflection.BindingFlags.InvokeMethod, Nothing, o, Nothing)