Enable / Disable all buttons in a ToolStrip

Hi!

I have a toolStrip with several buttons. Each button opens a new form.

With some forms I disable just its button, but with others I disable three buttons.

After I close any form, I re-enable the button.

As it isn't always the same amount of buttons, I'd like to do a routine to re-enable the buttons after I close any form.

I've tried with:

Code:

---

        For Each Ctrl As Control In Me.Controls
            Ctrl.GetType()
            If (Ctrl Is ToolStripButton) Then
                  Ctrl.enabled = true
            End If
        Next

---

and

Code:

---

      For Each StripButton As ToolStripButton In MDIParent1.Controls
            If Controls.Equals(StripButton) Then
                StripButton.Enabled = True
            End If
        Next

---

But any of them work...

could anyone please, give me a hand with this?

Thanks in advance.

That would be because tool strip buttons are not controls in any Controls collection. They can be found in the Items collection of the ToolStrip.

Thank you for your reply.

Then, what should I write in my code?

Because I wrote

Code:

---

      For Each StripButton As ToolStripButton In MDIParent1.ToolStrip.Items
            If Controls.Equals(StripButton) Then
                StripButton.Enabled = True
            End If
        Next

---

and it still doesn't work...

How is Controls defined?

The problem appears right on the For stament.

It says

Code:

---

"Cannot convert type 'System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSeparator' to type 'System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripButton'"

---

In that case you need to ignore any StripButton that is a "ToolStripSeparator".

How can I ignore the toolStripSeparator in that code?

Do I have to delete that separator from my ToolStrip Design?

No. Just add an If statement before your If that checks to see if the object you have a reference to is a "ToolStripSeparator", if it isn't then continue. You may have to use GetType or there may be a property you can check.

Conversly you may be able to check if the object is a "ToolStripButton" and if so then continue on with your if.

The problem is that I can't get to the If statement.

Now, I tried with just this code:

vb Code:

For Each StripButton As ToolStripButton In MDIParent1.ToolStrip.Items
 
        Next

and even with that I get a mistake.

I think I should have a different variable type in the for each statement...am I right? I mean: To declare

Code:

---

For each aux_var as 'whatever_type' in MDIParent1.ToolStrip.Items

---

and there, get the type of aux_var...

Ok!

Forget about it. I found the problem. I should have written this:

vb Code:

For Each StripButton As ToolStripItem In MDIParent1.ToolStrip.Items
            If StripButton.Equals(StripButton) Then
                StripButton.Enabled = True
            End If
        Next

Now it works.

Thank you very much for your help and your time!!

You're welcome. Glad you figured it out!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bakero

Ok!

Forget about it. I found the problem. I should have written this:

vb Code:

For Each StripButton As ToolStripItem In MDIParent1.ToolStrip.Items
            If StripButton.Equals(StripButton) Then
                StripButton.Enabled = True
            End If
        Next

Now it works.

Thank you very much for your help and your time!!

---

You might want to read up on the TypeOf operator, last I know a variable (StripButton) will always equal itself. Luckily for you a ToolStripSeparator looks the same on in it's Enabled state as it does in it's disabled state & they aren't clickable (no Click event) anyways. But if you have other items in there that you don't want to become enabled/disabled, you'll want to check for just items that are of the type ToolStripButton:

Code:

---

      For Each StripButton As ToolStripItem In MDIParent1.ToolStrip.Items
            If TypeOf StripButton Is ToolStripButton Then
                'Only enable ToolStripButton's
                StripButton.Enabled = True
            End If
        Next

---

Assuming .NET 3.5 or later (please specify in future):

vb.net Code:

For Each button In MDIParent1.ToolStrip.Items.OfType(Of ToolStripButton)()
    button.Enabled = True
Next