question about loops and arrays

im just learning loops and arrays, and i have a couple of questions.
i have a array set up, and i need the array to be global, but i can only get vb to accept it in a button, if anyone can help out thier. in addition, after the loop is completed, i am trying to pull a value from the array and display it but am getting an error.
the code is as follows:

Code:

---

Public Class Form1
    Friend staten As String
    Friend statea As String
    Dim statec(1, 54)
 
    Private Sub Button2_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        Me.Close()

    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        statename.Clear()
        stateabbr.Clear()

    End Sub

   
    Public Sub findabbr_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles findabbr.Click
        staten = statename.Text

        Dim i As Integer
        Dim statec(,) As String = {{"alabama", "al"}, {"alaska", "ak"}, {"american samoa", "as"},
                                  {"arizona", "az"}, {"arkansas", "ar"}, {"california", "ca"},
                                  {"colorado", "co"}, {"connecticutt", "ct"}, {"delaware", "de"},
                                  {"washington d.c.", "dc"}, {"florida", "fl"}, {"georgia", "ga"},
                                  {"guam", "gu"}, {"hawaii", "hi"}, {"idaho", "id"}, {"illinois", "il"},
                                  {"indiana", "in"}, {"iowa", "ia"}, {"kansas", "ks"}, {"kentucky", "ky"},
                                  {"louisana", "la"}, {"maine", "me"}, {"maryland", "md"}, {"massachussets", "ma"},
                                  {"michigan", "mi"}, {"minnesota", "mn"}, {"missisippi", "ms"}, {"missouri", "mo"},
                                  {"montana", "mt"}, {"nebraska", "ne"}, {"nevada", "nv"}, {"new hampshire", "nh"},
                                  {"new jersey", "nj"}, {"new mexico", "nm"}, {"new york", "ny"}, {"north carolina", "nc"},
                                  {"north dakota", "nd"}, {"ohio", "oh"}, {"oklahoma", "ok"}, {"oregon", "or"}, {"pennsylvania", "pa"},
                                  {"puerto rico", "pr"}, {"rhode island", "ri"}, {"south carolina", "sc"}, {"south dakota", "sd"},
                                  {"tennesee", "tn"}, {"texas", "tx"}, {"trust territories", "tt"}, {"utah", "ut"}, {"vermont", "vt"},
                                  {"virginia", "va"}, {"virgin islands", "vi"}, {"washington", "wa"}, {"west virginia", "wv"},
                                  {"wisconsin", "wi"}, {"wyoming", "wy"}}

        i = 0
        Do Until i = 50
        Loop
        If staten = statec(0, i) Then
            statea = statec(1, i)
        Else
            i = i + 1
            If i > 49 Then
                MessageBox.Show("input error. please recheck")
            End If
        End If

        stateabbr = statec

    End Sub
End Class

---

the error code is

Code:

---

Error        1        Value of type '2-dimensional array of String' cannot be converted to 'System.Windows.Forms.TextBox'.        C:\Users\chris\Documents\Visual Studio 2010\Projects\state 8.4\state 8.4\Form1.vb        50        21        state 8.4

---

I suspect this is the problem:
stateabbr = statec
if StateAbbr is a combobox you should rewrite it like StateAbbr.datasource= statec

Just in case it hasn't been solved, I've asked the moderators to move this thread to the appropriate subforum.

Thread moved from the 'CodeBank VB.Net' forum (which is for you to post working code examples, not questions) to the 'VB.Net' forum

thanks for letting us know formlesstree4 :thumb:

According to your error message I suspect that stateabbr is a textbox and you're trying to assign a two dimensional array to it:

Code:

---

stateabbr = statec

---

I guess what you wanted to assign to it was the statea string, but a string can't be converted to a textbox either so you must use the Text property

Code:

---

stateabbr.Text = statea

---

And if that doesn't solve it, tell us which line is showing the error. After all, both Dnereb and JA took reasonable guesses at which line was causing the problem, and if those guesses were wrong, we really need to know which line is causing the problem.

As for the initial question, to make the array global, you can declare it as Public in a module, rather than Dim as a local variable in a method.

ok that problem is fixed, thank you, but as a question, how can i take the array value assignment from the one button and make it global?

You'll have to explain what you are trying to do a bit more for me to understand it.