Simple Output Help Needed

This is my first VB class and I've always struggled with output, and I've been messing around and I can't get the right stuff to display. The code processes a sentence a user enters into an input box to display how many words, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, and other words there are.

The output list box is supposed to display something like this:

Sentence: Hello world (user entered example obv)
Number of words: 2
Conjunctions: ....... and so forth with "articles" and "other of words"

Code:

---

'Declaration Section

Dim input As String = ""

While input.Length < 1

input = InputBox("Enter Sentence to process", "Loop Fun")

End While

Dim words() As String = input.Split(" ")

Dim wordcount As Integer = words.Length

Dim conjunctions As Integer

Dim prepositions As Integer

Dim articles As Integer

Dim otherwords As Integer

Dim fmtstr As String = "{0,-16} {1,-1}"

'Processing

lstOutput.Items.Clear()

Dim count As Integer

While count < words.Length - 1

count += 1

Select Case words(count)

Case "and"

conjunctions += 1

Case "but"

conjunctions += 1

Case "or"

conjunctions += 1

Case "to"

prepositions += 1

Case "over"

prepositions += 1

Case "above"

prepositions += 1

Case "under"

prepositions += 1

Case "down"

prepositions += 1

Case "up"

prepositions += 1

Case "a"

articles += 1

Case "an"

articles += 1

Case "the"

articles += 1

End Select

End While

otherwords = wordcount - conjunctions - prepositions - articles

'Output??? help!!

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it's a form application

A side note. You can create an array:

Code:

---

Dim Prepositions() As String = {"in", "over", "above"} ' add as many as youwant

---

And then check whether this array contains the word being checked:

Code:

---

If Prepositions.Contains(words(Count)) Then PrepositionsCount +=1

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This will significantly improve the readability of your code.

As for your main question. A normal list box displays single line items. In order to output 3 lines per an item you will need to set its DrawMode property to either OwnerDrawVariable or OwnerDrawFixed.

Then you will need to catch the MeasureItem event and tell your listbox how big a rectangle you will need for a single item and next you have to catch the DrawItem event and to literally Draw your listbox item using GDI+ methods.

thanks for the advice on the array but i can't use it because it's an assignment for class and we have to demonstrate understanding of select case statements

im still confused about the output.... thus our outputs and the output for this would start like:

lstoutput.Items.Add(.............) <--------- im confused about what i would put in there.

If it's a class I doubt they will teach you of OwnerDraw.
Whatewer string expression you put in here it will appear as a selectable item of your listbox.
So, what should be in the listbox?

Listbox should contain some lists so type an example of how this list should look like.

P.S. As for demonstration of SELECT CASE:

Code:

---

Select Case True
    Case Prepositions.Contains(words(Count))
              PrepositionsCount += 1
    Case Articles.Contains(words(Count))
              ArticlesCount += 1
    Case Unions.Contains(words(Count))
              UnionsCount += 1
    Case Else
              OtherWords += 1
End Select

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so you're saying that would be a more efficient way of select case? and where do you get "unions" from?