Accessing class in class library

[vaemps]

I am trying to create a class for dynamic navigation buttons. I don't seem to get it work. At the moment I am not getting any errors, luckily, but I don't see my button on the form either. Can you help me get back on track and understand what went wrong?

Form:

Public Class Form2

    Public Sub GetNavigationbuttons()
        Dim GetNavigationbuttons As NavigationButtons() = New NavigationButtons() {}
    End Sub

        Private Sub Form2_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
            Me.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(56, 67, 87)
            MaximizeBox = False
            MinimizeBox = True
            dashboard.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(65, 77, 99)
            panel_customerinfo.Visible = False
        GetNavigationbuttons()
    End Sub
    End Class

And the class library:

Public Class NavigationButtons

    Inherits Control.ControlCollection
    Protected Sub New(owner)
        MyBase.New(owner)
    End Sub

    Friend Class Form1

    End Class

    Public Property GetNavigationbuttons As Object

    Public Sub CreateNext(ByVal e As System.EventArgs)

        ' Create a Button object 
        Dim NextButton As New Button
        ' Set Button properties
        NextButton.Location = New Point(206, 745)
        NextButton.Height = 57
        NextButton.Width = 64
        NextButton.Text = ""
        NextButton.Name = "btn_next"
        NextButton.BackColor = Color.Transparent
        NextButton.ForeColor = Color.Transparent
        NextButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.next_disabled
        NextButton.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Stretch
        AddHandler NextButton.Click,
        GetNavigationbuttons.Add(NextButton)
        AddHandler NextButton.MouseEnter, Sub(sender, eventargs)
                                              NextButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.next_enabled
                                          End Sub
    End Sub

End Class

[vaemps]

I went little bit further and thought why not create a new panel as well with the navigation buttons. I've tried to search how to do so, and this is how far I got this morning. I don't have an idea how to call for the code in the form.

Public Class NewUIPanel

    Inherits Control.ControlCollection
    Protected Sub New(owner)
        MyBase.New(owner)
    End Sub

    Dim PanelName As String

    Private Sub CreateUIPanel()

        Dim UIPanel As New Panel

        UIPanel.Width = 1378
        UIPanel.Height = 805
        UIPanel.Location = New Point(206, 0)
        UIPanel.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(56, 67, 87)
        UIPanel.Name = "UIPanel" & PanelName

        Me.Add(UIPanel)

    End Sub

    Public Class Navigationbuttons
        Private Property create As Object

        Private Sub CreateNext()

            ' Create a Button object 
            Dim NextButton As New Button
            ' Set Button properties
            NextButton.Width = 64
            NextButton.Height = 57
            NextButton.Location = New Point(0, 748)
            NextButton.Text = ""
            NextButton.Name = "btn_next"
            NextButton.BackColor = Color.Transparent
            NextButton.ForeColor = Color.Transparent
            NextButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.next_disabled
            NextButton.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Stretch
            AddHandler NextButton.Click,
            create.Add(NextButton)
            AddHandler NextButton.MouseEnter, Sub(sender, eventargs)
                                                  NextButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.next_enabled
                                              End Sub
        End Sub

        Private Sub CreatePrevious()

            ' Create a Button object 
            Dim PreviousButton As New Button
            ' Set Button properties
            PreviousButton.Width = 64
            PreviousButton.Height = 57
            PreviousButton.Location = New Point(1314, 748)
            PreviousButton.Text = ""
            PreviousButton.Name = "btn_previous"
            PreviousButton.BackColor = Color.Transparent
            PreviousButton.ForeColor = Color.Transparent
            PreviousButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.previous_disabled
            PreviousButton.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Stretch
            AddHandler PreviousButton.Click,
            create.Add(PreviousButton)
            AddHandler PreviousButton.MouseEnter, Sub(sender, eventargs)
                                                      PreviousButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.previous_enabled
                                                  End Sub
        End Sub

    End Class

End Class

Code above is in a class library called WinFormsLibrary1 which I have a reference for in my form properties. Also

Imports WinFormsLibrary1

is included. Now I would like to know, how I can create the panel from the class library on my form with a btn click.

[jmcilhinney]

Why are you inheriting Control.ControlCollection? You need to inherit Control, either directly or indirectly via some existing control. Control.ControlCollection is the type that a control's Controls property is, which is a collection containing the child controls. If you want a custom control that contains children then you inherit Control and then add those children to the Controls collection property.

[Shaggy Hiker]

You need to turn Option Strict ON. By leaving it off, it is allowing you to be too fuzzy in your thinking about what you're doing, which is causing you some minor troubles. Eventually, those troubles will likely grow.

[vaemps]

I modified the code, but still cannot get it to work.

Class library:

Public Class Navigationbuttons

    Inherits Button
    Private Sub CreateNextbutton()

        ' Create a Button object 
        Dim NextButton As New Button
        ' Set Button properties
        NextButton.Width = 64
        NextButton.Height = 57
        NextButton.Location = New Point(0, 748)
        NextButton.Text = ""
        NextButton.Name = "btn_next"
        NextButton.BackColor = Color.Transparent
        NextButton.ForeColor = Color.Transparent
        NextButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.next_disabled
        NextButton.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Stretch
        AddHandler NextButton.Click, AddressOf Me.CreateNextbutton
        Controls.Add(NextButton)
        AddHandler NextButton.MouseEnter, Sub(sender, eventargs)
                                              NextButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.next_enabled
                                          End Sub
        CreateNextbutton()

    End Sub

    Private Sub CreatePreviousbutton()

        ' Create a Button object 
        Dim PreviousButton As New Button
        ' Set Button properties
        PreviousButton.Width = 64
        PreviousButton.Height = 57
        PreviousButton.Location = New Point(1314, 748)
        PreviousButton.Text = ""
        PreviousButton.Name = "btn_previous"
        PreviousButton.BackColor = Color.Transparent
        PreviousButton.ForeColor = Color.Transparent
        PreviousButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.previous_disabled
        PreviousButton.BackgroundImageLayout = ImageLayout.Stretch
        AddHandler PreviousButton.Click, AddressOf Me.CreatePreviousbutton
        Controls.Add(PreviousButton)
        AddHandler PreviousButton.MouseEnter, Sub(sender, eventargs)
                                                  PreviousButton.BackgroundImage = My.Resources.previous_enabled
                                              End Sub
        CreatePreviousbutton()

    End Sub

End Class

Form:

Public Class Form2

    Private Sub CreateNavigationbuttons()

        Dim NewNavigationbuttons As New Navigationbuttons

    End Sub
    Private Sub Form2_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        Me.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(56, 67, 87)
        MaximizeBox = False
        MinimizeBox = True
        dashboard.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(65, 77, 99)
        CreateNavigationbuttons()

    End Sub
End Class

[sapator]

I'm baffled by up down left rights of the code.
I would also like to know from the Gurus here if that is a proper way to create a control.
Personally I wouldn't have inherited a control if I'm not really doing anything special to it, I would just created buttons and put them to a list - collection in order to use them.
Most importantly I would at some point added them to the form I want them to show.

[vaemps]

I'm baffled by up down left rights of the code.
I would also like to know from the Gurus here if that is a proper way to create a control.
Personally I wouldn't have inherited a control if I'm not really doing anything special to it, I would just created buttons and put them to a list - collection in order to use them.
Most importantly I would at some point added them to the form I want them to show.

I have just recently started coding so I am quite novice. What I want is to create a user interface panel layout with navigation buttons (next and previous) that I can use at any point and form necessary in my project so it will be the same anywhere I use it. I assume creating a class library is not the way to go..?

[Shaggy Hiker]

Well, it is A way to go, but probably not THE way to go. Take a look at this link:

https://www.thoughtco.com/user-contr...-vbnet-3424337

The first paragraph sounds a whole lot like what it is you are trying to accomplish.

[kareninstructor]

An alternative is to create a new class which inherits BindingNavigator, create buttons there, setup properties, assign images then in your form setup events and conditions such as enabling and disabling buttons. This gets you the next and Previous buttons to display,

Not that we could go farther with this while I see no reason as if you look at WireUpButton in BindingNavigator source and the code for assertion in properties for movement it's not worth it.

See the following for documentation done in C# with instructions to use with VB.NET. Images are in the link above.

For VB.NET this is untested, just did a quick conversion from C#

Public Class DataGridToolStrip
	Inherits BindingNavigator

	Public Property PreviousButton() As ToolStripButton
	Public Property NextButton() As ToolStripButton
	Public Property EditButton() As ToolStripButton

	Public Property Separator() As ToolStripSeparator

	Public Overrides Sub AddStandardItems()
		'base.AddStandardItems();

		PreviousButton = New ToolStripButton With {
			.Name = "PreviousButton",
			.Image = Resources.ASX_Previous_blue_16x,
			.Enabled = False
		}
		NextButton = New ToolStripButton With {
			.Name = "NextButton",
			.Image = Resources.ASX_Next_blue_16x
		}
		Separator = New ToolStripSeparator()
		EditButton = New ToolStripButton With {
			.Name = "EditButton",
			.Image = Resources.ASX_Edit_blue_16x
		}

		Items.AddRange(New ToolStripItem() {PreviousButton, NextButton, Separator, EditButton })

	End Sub
	
End Cl