MDI form

[samkud]

Hi everybody,

I want to create an application where I want to use a MDI form. As in any windows application i want to add the NEW command to the menu, using which i can create a new documnet. What I want to do is create a prototype of the child form and to create an instance of the prototype whenever i click on the NEW command. How can this be achieved? I have read that u can create a form which can act as prototype and declare an array of that prototype. BUt i don't want to limit myself to the ubound of the array declared. I want to let the user create as many instances as he/she wants.


Please can anyone help me.

Regards

Samir

[darre1]

you can use a dynamic array.

this is an array where you don't specify the dimensions when you declare it, you can then change the no of dimensions and the upperbound etc during runtime. Theres plently of info on them in MSDN.

However you could also consider using a collection rather than array since you will be storing objects...

[Leather]

Hmm, you dont neccesarily need an array or a collection.. Remember that th form will be added to the generic forms collection, and child collections...

Create the template form (EG frmDoc)


' Behind the new menu item...

Dim oNewFrmDoc as frmDoc

Set oNewFrmDoc = new frmDoc

oNewFrmDoc.Show

' Dispose of our refrence to the form.
Set oNewFrmDoc = Nothing

[samkud]

HI,

Thanx for ur reply darre1.

Can u please elabordate on COLLECTIONS. What is a collection where do we use it. I am very new to this field so ur advice will be a great help to me. And if possible can u please give me ur email id so that i can mail u when i need ur help.


Thanx.


Regards

Samir

[darre1]

collections are dead easy to use.

here's an example...

Dim colForms As Collection
 
Private Sub Form_Activate()
    Dim f As Form
    Dim f2 As Form
    Dim i As Long
    
    'setup objects to go into collection
    Set f = New Form1
    f.Tag = "abc"
    Set f2 = New Form1
    f2.Tag = "xyz"
    
    'create new collection
    Set colForms = New Collection
    
    'add forms to collection
    colForms.Add f
    colForms.Add f2
    
    'read data from objects in collection
    For i = 1 To colForms.Count
        MsgBox colForms(i).Tag
    Next i
 
    'remove objects from collection
    For i = 1 To colForms.Count
        colForms.Remove (1)
    Next i
 
    MsgBox "there are now " & colForms.Count & " items in colForms"
 
End Sub

like the above post said though, you're forms will all be accesible through the global Forms collection anyway, but you can have your own if you wish, and then you can add and remove whatever you want.