[RESOLVED] [2005] Retreiving String from object dictionary

I have a dictionary set up like so.

vb.net Code:

Dim dict As New Dictionary(Of String, Object)
dict.Add("Filename", s)
dict.Add("Type", CType(id(3), FileType))

I then store the dictionary into a dynamically created form's Tag property.
I have tried to extract the "Filename" (which is a string) by using:

vb.net Code:

CType(Me.Tag, Dictionary(Of String, Object))("Filename").ToString

I get the error: Cannot convert Dictionary(Of String, Object) to String.
I am not trying to convert the dictionary, just the "Filename" entry.

Any idea of how to do this? Thanks, Troy.

Why are you using the Tag property at all? Just assign the Dictionary to a private field. If you need to expose it outside the form too then create a public read-only property of the appropriate type.

Also, don't use CType when you can use DirectCast.

I am using Tag because the form is created dynamically from a dll that is loaded. The dll is not referenced by the main application, and the form is different for each dll.

I had tried DirectCast first, then tried CType.

You're using 'Me.Tag' so you're accessing it from inside the form class. If the form itself knows that its Tag will contain a Dictionary then why can't the form itself declare a field/property pair specifically for that Dictionary?

That aside, whenever a long expression like that fails the first thing to do is to break it up to establish exactly where the issue actually is, e.g.:

vb.net Code:

Dim dict As Dictionary(Of String, Object) = TryCast(Me.Tag, Dictionary(Of String, Object))
 
If dict Is Nothing Then
    MessageBox.Show("The Tag did not contain a Dictionary(Of String, Object)")
Else
    Dim fileName As Object = dict("Filename")
 
    If fileName Is Nothing Then
        MessageBox.Show("No object found.")
    Else
        MessageBox.Show(fileName.ToString())
    End If
End If

Thanks.

I had figured it out last night, but when I built the dll I forgot to put it in the right folder so my other program didn't read the newly built dll.