Help: Numeric Keypad with multi-textboxes

This is just one Form of my project, I was wondering if how can I create a form that has a numeric Keypad (Buttons) that has 3 text boxes

TEXTBOX 1 : OLD PIN CODE
TEXTBOX 2 : NEW PIN CODE
TEXTBOX 3 : CONFIRM NEW PIN CODE

I have 10 buttons 0,1,2...9

Actually it's easy if I use 1 text box only, but now with 3 text boxes I found a little bit difficulty

I am using a touch screen for my project that's why I need this built in numeric keypad to input the PIN CODE in the specific areas..

I tried using an IF STATEMENT that when the focus is set in TEXTBOX1 Then it should write to TEXTBOX1 only then when the TEXTBOX2 is clicked then it should now Write to TEXTBOX2

here is my CODE:

Code:

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Public Class frmpin

    Private Sub cmd1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd1.Click
       
        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "1"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "1"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "1"
        End If

    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd2.Click
     
        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "2"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "2"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "2"
        End If

    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd3_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd3.Click
     
        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "3"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "3"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "3"
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd4_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd4.Click
     
        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "4"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "4"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "4"
        End If

    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd5_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd5.Click
       
        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "5"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "5"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "5"
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd6_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd6.Click
     
        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "6"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "6"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "6"
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd7_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd7.Click
     
        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "7"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "7"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "7"
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd8_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd8.Click

        If txtpassword.Focused = True Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "8"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "8"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused = True Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "8"
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd9_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd9.Click
     
        If txtpassword.Focused Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "9"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "9"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "9"
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub cmd0_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmd0.Click
       
        If txtpassword.Focus Then
            txtpassword.Text = txtpassword.Text + "0"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused Then
            txtnew.Text = txtnew.Text + "0"

        ElseIf txtnew.Focused Then
            txtnew2.Text = txtnew2.Text + "0"
        End If


    End Sub

    Private Sub cmdcancel_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdcancel.Click
        Me.Hide()
    End Sub

    Private Sub txtpassword_MouseClick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles txtpassword.MouseClick
        txtpassword.Text = ""

    End Sub

    Private Sub txtnew_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles txtnew.Click
        txtnew.Text = ""
    End Sub

    Private Sub txtnew2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles txtnew2.Click
        txtnew2.Text = ""
        If txtnew2.Text <> txtnew.Text Then
            MsgBox("Please Verify Your Password again! Passwords Should Match!")

        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub frmpin_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

    End Sub
End Class

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Any help will be appreciated. Thank you

That code is so much more complex than is necessary. Firstly, you've written basically the same code over and over and that is never a good thing. One of the most important principles in programming is DRY: don't repeat yourself. You could simply assign the appropriate digit to the Tag property of each Button and then use a single method to handle the Click event for all of them. In the event handler, you access the Button that was clicked via the 'sender' parameter and get the digit to use from its Tag.

Secondly, you don't need If statements to determine which TextBox has focus. You simply get the ActiveControl of the form and, if it's a TextBox, append the appropriate text, which you get from the Button's Tag, e.g.

Code:

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Private Sub Buttons_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click, Button2.Click
    Dim target = TryCast(ActiveControl, TextBox)

    If target IsNot Nothing Then
        Dim source = DirectCast(sender, Button)

        target.AppendText(CStr(source.Tag))
    End If
End Sub

---

That will replace all your 10 Button.Click event handlers.

The other issue you have, though, is that clicking a Button will steal focus, so the ActiveControl will never be one of the TextBoxes. You need a way to click the Button without it taking focus. To learn how to do that, follow the CodeBank link in my signature and check out my On-screen Keyboard thread. The custom controls provided their are already designed for an on-screen keyboard, so there's a button control that will not take focus when clicked and also has a property specifically for the character that that "key" represents.

Thank you for the help.
Sorry for that. i am just a starter.
I cannot find your thread on creating the On-Screen Keyboard, I only found the On-screen Keyboard: Active Window Loses Focus for External Apps

Hey, no one knows these principals to begin with. Unfortunately, simple principles like DRY don't get taught as early as they should either.

Anyway, with regards to that CodeBank link, the search feature for this site still doesn't seem to work properly, or certainly not the way it did, so those links in my signature don't always show all the threads they should. You can still find the thread easily enough though. Just go to the VB.NET CodeBank forum, sort by Thread Starter and then page until you find my threads. It should about page 13 or 14.

Hi abo0badr,

I have an example for you that may prove useful (See my signature for the link.). Not to long ago I found myself requiring my own on-screen numpad for a project I was working on to. So I went ahead and built one. Unfortunately though it was not as simple as I had originally thought, on-screen numpads, when for the users end require some attention to detail. Some going through with a fine tooth pick and comb am I right?

Hope it helps you out a bit, do take note in my example I had to strip away a lot because of how 'implemented' it was in my other project, design and functionality-wise.


Feel free to message me for any question you may have. If they're useful to the thread, post it here so others can see.

David

hello sir, I tried your example and it was pretty awesome, but I am in a little bit trouble that I cannot solve, when I run your program as it's project, it is perfectly running, but I integrated the example in my system (actually it's just a start, not yet fully functioning, I just created it) and the numpad comes up, but it does not code any numbers..

maybe because I used it in a panel? Here attached my Program, I hope you can find what is wrong,

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?cce6f9eyd361jhs

When the Program start just click Run System then choose the button (Change PIN).. thank you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcilhinney

That code is so much more complex than is necessary. Firstly, you've written basically the same code over and over and that is never a good thing. One of the most important principles in programming is DRY: don't repeat yourself. You could simply assign the appropriate digit to the Tag property of each Button and then use a single method to handle the Click event for all of them. In the event handler, you access the Button that was clicked via the 'sender' parameter and get the digit to use from its Tag.

Secondly, you don't need If statements to determine which TextBox has focus. You simply get the ActiveControl of the form and, if it's a TextBox, append the appropriate text, which you get from the Button's Tag, e.g.

Code:

---

Private Sub Buttons_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click, Button2.Click
    Dim target = TryCast(ActiveControl, TextBox)

    If target IsNot Nothing Then
        Dim source = DirectCast(sender, Button)

        target.AppendText(CStr(source.Tag))
    End If
End Sub

---

That will replace all your 10 Button.Click event handlers.

The other issue you have, though, is that clicking a Button will steal focus, so the ActiveControl will never be one of the TextBoxes. You need a way to click the Button without it taking focus. To learn how to do that, follow the CodeBank link in my signature and check out my On-screen Keyboard thread. The custom controls provided their are already designed for an on-screen keyboard, so there's a button control that will not take focus when clicked and also has a property specifically for the character that that "key" represents.

---

ugh.. everytime i hit the "1" button, it doesnt show up on textbox. I used the code that you said, is there anything that i need to put?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by imklayd

ugh.. everytime i hit the "1" button, it doesnt show up on textbox. I used the code that you said, is there anything that i need to put?

---

Did you follow the instructions in the last paragraph of that post or did you just copy the code without reading the accompanying instructions?

Hi Good day Ive tried this but it doesn't work on mine I did put value on tag property for each of my numkeyBtn but nothing happens

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Inemesiiss

Hi Good day Ive tried this but it doesn't work on mine I did put value on tag property for each of my numkeyBtn but nothing happens

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It works if you do it properly. If it doesn't work for you then you did it wrong. If we can't see what you did, we can't see what's wrong with it. My guess would be that you too ignored the last paragraph of post #2 and just used regular Buttons. It cannot work with regular Buttons and I have explained why. If you want to use regular Buttons then you need to specify the target TextBox some other way besides using ActiveControl.

You need a way to click the Button without it taking focus. thank you I just need to find a way for this I'm sorry I cant find your thread regarding on screen key board ive been searching for it :((

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Inemesiiss

I cant find your thread regarding on screen key board

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Click the VB CodeBank link in my signature, press Ctrl+F to open the "Find on page" function of your browser and type in "keyboard". Not sure why I need to explain something like that.