[RESOLVED] [2005] Retreiving String from object dictionary

[Troy Lundin]

I have a dictionary set up like so.

Dim dict As New Dictionary(Of String, Object)
dict.Add("Filename", s)
dict.Add("Type", CType(id(3), FileType))

I then store the dictionary into a dynamically created form's Tag property.
I have tried to extract the "Filename" (which is a string) by using:

CType(Me.Tag, Dictionary(Of String, Object))("Filename").ToString

I get the error: Cannot convert Dictionary(Of String, Object) to String.
I am not trying to convert the dictionary, just the "Filename" entry.

Any idea of how to do this? Thanks, Troy.

[jmcilhinney]

Why are you using the Tag property at all? Just assign the Dictionary to a private field. If you need to expose it outside the form too then create a public read-only property of the appropriate type.

Also, don't use CType when you can use DirectCast.

[Troy Lundin]

I am using Tag because the form is created dynamically from a dll that is loaded. The dll is not referenced by the main application, and the form is different for each dll.

I had tried DirectCast first, then tried CType.

[jmcilhinney]

You're using 'Me.Tag' so you're accessing it from inside the form class. If the form itself knows that its Tag will contain a Dictionary then why can't the form itself declare a field/property pair specifically for that Dictionary?

That aside, whenever a long expression like that fails the first thing to do is to break it up to establish exactly where the issue actually is, e.g.:

Dim dict As Dictionary(Of String, Object) = TryCast(Me.Tag, Dictionary(Of String, Object))
 
If dict Is Nothing Then
    MessageBox.Show("The Tag did not contain a Dictionary(Of String, Object)")
Else
    Dim fileName As Object = dict("Filename")
 
    If fileName Is Nothing Then
        MessageBox.Show("No object found.")
    Else
        MessageBox.Show(fileName.ToString())
    End If
End If

[Troy Lundin]

Thanks.

I had figured it out last night, but when I built the dll I forgot to put it in the right folder so my other program didn't read the newly built dll.