InputDialog Demo

[.paul.]

Many times when using the InputBox I've found it to be lacking in functionality with it not being a true Dialog. This is something most of the more experienced programmers online agree on, but you often see homework assignments that specify using an InputBox.

This example encapsulates the creation of a DialogBox that has the appearance and functionality of an InputBox but also the functionality of a modal DialogBox, returning either DialogResult.OK or DialogResult.Cancel.
The code used to call it is as you would call a Dialog, and if the result is DialogResult.OK, the returnedValue Property contains the Text the User entered.

Compared to a standard InputBox, the InputDialog takes a few more lines of code to utilize it in your application than the single line InputBox, but gives you far more control over what is entered and retrieved from the Dialog.

As it is, the InputDialog is a fully reusable Class that encapsulates everything necessary to use the Dialog. There are no additional Forms or Resources. All you need to do is add the class to your project and call it as shown in the example.





InputDialog_Demo.zip

Version 2

Version 2 introduces input types with testing that will not allow incorrect input.
There are ten distinct datatypes to choose from:



InputDialog_Demo_v2.zip

[jmcilhinney]

I haven't looked at your code but I did see the code you used in the thread you originally posted this idea in. The one thing I would say is that, if I was doing it, I would tend to look at the way MessageBox.Show is implemented compared to MsgBox and use as my model.

[dday9]

For your isValidInput() I'd suggest using this as a Delegate to shorten the code and make it more organized.

All in all though

[.paul.]

For your isValidInput() I'd suggest using this as a Delegate to shorten the code and make it more organized.

All in all though

I've seen some of your delegate examples. How would you implement that in this case?

[dday9]

You'd do the initial setup:

Private Delegate Function IsValidInput(ByVal input As String) As Boolean

Private Function IsValidChar(ByVal input As String) As Boolean
    Dim value As Char
    If Char.TryParse(input, value) Then
        _returnedValue = value
        Return True
    Else
        Return False
    End If
End Function

Private Function IsValidString(ByVal input As String) As Boolean
    _returnedValue = input
    Return Not String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(input)
End Function

'Etc...

Then you'd use a Dictionary to hold your enumerated value and delegate function:

Private validationMethods As New Dictionary(Of returnTypes, IsValidInput) From {{returnTypes.Char, New IsValidInput(AddressOf IsValidChar)}, {returnTypes.String, New IsValidInput(AddressOf IsValidString), 'Etc...

Finally when you'd want to call the delegate you'd use:

validationMethods.Values(returnType).Invoke("hello")

[.paul.]

It's interesting, but I don't see it as a space saver...

[dday9]

What I like to do is create my delegate functions inside of a Region so that they're easily collapsible and kind of out of the way. This is so that the relevant(ie - when you need to do the validation) is only one line.