Two Dimentional Array....HELp?

I am having difficulties grasping the concept / context of two dimensional arrays. For the assignment I am working on I am required to use radio buttons to allow a user to vote if they like or dislike an item from a combo box. The contents of the combo box have been populated through the IDE via tht item property. I understand how to set up my rows and columns, which will be, (0 to 4), (0 to 1). The trouble I am having is how to record and display the votes and have them correspond to the selected item from the combo box. Can anyone give me an example of how something like this works?

i don't understand how the array corresponds to the combobox items or how you intend to store votes in it?

try this, but i'm not sure how your voting system will work:

vb Code:

Public Class Form1
 
    Dim votes(4, 1) As Object
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim items() As String = {"item1", "item2", "item3", "item4", "item5"}
        For x As Integer = 0 To 4
            votes(x, 0) = items(x) 'item name
            votes(x, 1) = 0 'score
        Next
        ComboBox1.DataSource = items
    End Sub
 
End Class

Ok here is a clearer example of what I am trying to do. The combobox has the following items: "Fillet Mignon", "Sirloin", and "Hamburger". I have a form that allows the user to choose one of these items from a comboBox then select "like" or "dislike" via a radioButton, then click on a button to submit their vote. The votes are then displayed in a listBox with the comboBox item on the left and the number of likes and dislikes to the right.

It'd be better to use a datatable for this. You should have 3 columns in the datatable: Name (string), LikeCount (integer), DislikeCount (integer). Populate the datatable with the names and set the like/dislike count all to zero at the beginning. You then can increment the count of the like or dislike when the user votes.

is this a homework question?

here's my solution using a 2d array:

vb Code:

Public Class Form1
 
    Dim votes(4, 1) As Object
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim items() As String = {"item1", "item2", "item3", "item4", "item5"}
        For x As Integer = 0 To 4
            votes(x, 0) = items(x) 'item name
            votes(x, 1) = 0 'score
            ListBox1.Items.Add(String.Format("{0}{1}{2}{3}{4}", votes(x, 0).ToString, vbTab, "(", votes(x, 1).ToString, ")"))
        Next
        ComboBox1.DataSource = items
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim arrayFirstDIndex As Integer = -1
        For x As Integer = 0 To 4
            If votes(x, 0).ToString = ComboBox1.Text Then
                arrayFirstDIndex = x
                Exit For
            End If
        Next
        If RadioButton1.Checked Then
            votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1) = CInt(votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1)) + 1
        ElseIf RadioButton2.Checked Then
            votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1) = CInt(votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1)) - 1
        End If
        ListBox1.Items(arrayFirstDIndex) = String.Format("{0}{1}{2}{3}{4}", votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 0).ToString, vbTab, "(", votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1).ToString, ")")
        RadioButton1.Checked = False
        RadioButton2.Checked = False
    End Sub
 
End Class

found a mistake. here's an improvement:

vb Code:

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
    Dim arrayFirstDIndex As Integer = ComboBox1.SelectedIndex
    If RadioButton1.Checked Then
        votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1) = CInt(votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1)) + 1
    ElseIf RadioButton2.Checked Then
        votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1) = CInt(votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1)) - 1
    End If
    ListBox1.Items(arrayFirstDIndex) = String.Format("{0}{1}{2}{3}{4}", votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 0).ToString, vbTab, "(", votes(arrayFirstDIndex, 1).ToString, ")")
    RadioButton1.Checked = False
    RadioButton2.Checked = False
End Sub

Here is what I have came up with so far. It should provide some context as to where my intellect/logic is lacking.

Code:

---

Public Class FoodSurveryForm
    Dim votes As String(,) = New String(0 To 3, 0 To 1) {}
    Dim displayCount As Integer = 0

    ' handles Food Survey Form's Load event
    Private Sub FoodSurveryForm_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
      ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        foodsComboBox.SelectedIndex = 0 ' select first food in list

    End Sub ' FoodSurveryForm_Load

    Private Sub voteButton_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles voteButton.Click

        ' local integer variable index
        Dim index As Integer = 0
        Dim count As Integer = 1
        Dim foods As String() = New String() {"Cheese Pizza", "Hamburger", _
                                            "Fish Sticks", "Mystery Meat"}
        'clear the resultsListBox
        resultsListBox.Items.Clear()

        ' populate header
        resultsListBox.Items.Add("Food" & ControlChars.Tab & ControlChars.Tab _
                                & "Like" & ControlChars.Tab & ControlChars.Tab & "Dislike")

        ' make a For Loop to count items Liked or Disliked
        For count = 0 To 3

            ' If statement that checks radio button
            If likeRadioButton.Checked Then
                resultsListBox.Items.Add(ControlChars.Tab & ControlChars.Tab & index)
                index = (count + 1)
            ElseIf dislikeRadioButton.Checked Then
                resultsListBox.Items.Add(ControlChars.Tab & ControlChars.Tab & _
                  ControlChars.Tab & ControlChars.Tab & index)
                index = (count + 1)
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
End Class ' FoodSurveryForm

---

Just modified a little in .paul.'s Code..

Code:

---

Dim votes As String(,) = New String(3, 2) {}
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim items() As String = {"Cheese Pizza", "Hamburger", "Fish Sticks", "Mystery Meat"}
        ListBox1.Items.Add("Food" & ControlChars.Tab _
                                      & ControlChars.Tab & "Like" & ControlChars.Tab & "Dislike")
        For x As Integer = 0 To 3
            votes(x, 0) = items(x) 'item name
            votes(x, 1) = 0 'Like score
            votes(x, 2) = 0 'Dislike Score

            ListBox1.Items.Add(String.Format("{0}{1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}", votes(x, 0).ToString, vbTab, "(", votes(x, 1).ToString, ")", vbTab, "(" & votes(x, 2).ToString & ")"))
        Next
        ComboBox1.DataSource = items
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        If Not ComboBox1.SelectedIndex = -1 Then 'Check if there is selected item in combo box
            Dim index As Integer = ComboBox1.SelectedIndex
            If rbLike.Checked Then
                votes(index, 1) += 1
            ElseIf rbDisLike.Checked Then
                votes(index, 2) += 1
            End If
        End If
        ListBox1.Items.Clear()
        ListBox1.Items.Add("Food" & ControlChars.Tab & ControlChars.Tab _
                                & "Like" & ControlChars.Tab & "Dislike")
        For i As Integer = 0 To 3
            ListBox1.Items.Add(String.Format("{0}{1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}", votes(i, 0).ToString, vbTab, "(", votes(i, 1).ToString, ")", vbTab, "(" & votes(i, 2).ToString & ")"))
        Next

    End Sub

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because walkntall wants to view the number of likes and dislike... and I prefer you use listview instead of a listbox...