Dynamic Buttons

Hi all! this one is driving me crazy!.

Got this code (assigned to a button in my form) to create a new button:

Code:

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  Dim btn As New ToolStripMenuItem(Me.tbTemplateName.Text)
        Form1.ProgrammeTemplatesToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add(btn)
        With btn
            .Visible = True
        End With

        Form1.TS.Visible = True

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The code is working fine. However, on closing my form, and re launching...the button i've added is not there. How can i store it for when i reopen my form?

Huge thanks in advance! Help and advice is great.

use a my.settings stringcollection to store information about your buttons + add to it as you add buttons.

at startup, you can read the stringcollection + recreate your dynamic buttons

Thanks Paul. Would you be able to guide me through the process?

Project-->Properties-->Settings + add a new stringcollection setting

vb Code:

Public Class Form1
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        If My.Settings.dynamicButtons Is Nothing Then
            My.Settings.dynamicButtons = New Specialized.StringCollection
        End If
 
        For Each s As String In My.Settings.dynamicButtons
            addDynamicButton(s)
        Next
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub addDynamicButton(ByVal text As String)
        'your button adding code here
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        'add new button at runtime
        addDynamicButton("button text")
        My.Settings.dynamicButtons.Add("button text")
        My.Settings.Save()
    End Sub
 
End Class

Hi Paul! Thanks for this.

I've got a problem in that I'd like the text displayed on the button to be taken from a text box: "tbTemp"

And indeed, this seems to work at runtime. The button is added with the correct text. And it loads the data. however when i close and re open the form, i have a massive list of empty buttons and none of them seem to do anything.

Any advice?

This works for adding buttons

Code:

---

Public Class Form1

    Dim btnx As Integer = 100
    Dim btny As Integer = 100

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        If My.Settings.dynamicButtons Is Nothing Then
            My.Settings.dynamicButtons = New Specialized.StringCollection
        End If

        For Each s As String In My.Settings.dynamicButtons
            addDynamicButton(s)
        Next
    End Sub

    Private Sub addDynamicButton(ByVal text As String)
        Dim dynamicBtn As New Button
       
        dynamicBtn.Left = btnx
        dynamicBtn.Top = btny
        btnx = btnx + 20
        btny = btny + 20
        dynamicBtn.Name = "dbtn"
        dynamicBtn.Text = "Dynamic button"
        dynamicBtn.Visible = True
        Me.Controls.Add(dynamicBtn)
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        'add new button at runtime
        addDynamicButton("does nothing")
        My.Settings.dynamicButtons.add("Button text")
        My.Settings.Save()
    End Sub
End Class

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IKdekker, that works great...how would i transfer it to a toolstrip menu item?

Thank me, lol

Code:

---

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        If My.Settings.dynamicButtons Is Nothing Then
            My.Settings.dynamicButtons = New Specialized.StringCollection
        End If

        For Each s As String In My.Settings.dynamicButtons
            addDynamicButton(s)
        Next
    End Sub

    Private Sub addDynamicButton(ByVal text As String)
        Dim dynamicBtn As New ToolStripMenuItem
        ToolStripDropDownButton1.DropDownItems.Add("Your item")
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        'add new button at runtime
        addDynamicButton("does nothing")
        My.Settings.dynamicButtons.Add("new")
        My.Settings.Save()
    End Sub
End Class

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Thank you very much indeed! I honestly cannot thank the people on here enough for all the help provided! It's awesome!

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ikdekker

Thank me, lol

Code:

---

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        If My.Settings.dynamicButtons Is Nothing Then
            My.Settings.dynamicButtons = New Specialized.StringCollection
        End If

        For Each s As String In My.Settings.dynamicButtons
            addDynamicButton(s)
        Next
    End Sub

    Private Sub addDynamicButton(ByVal text As String)
        Dim dynamicBtn As New ToolStripMenuItem
        ToolStripDropDownButton1.DropDownItems.Add("Your item")
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        'add new button at runtime
        addDynamicButton("does nothing")
        My.Settings.dynamicButtons.Add("new")
        My.Settings.Save()
    End Sub
End Class

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the text parameter in addDynamicButton is there for a reason, which you have completely failed to grasp.

I am not familiar with these such things so I'm not sure what it does.