Using a variable string value to reference an array name

Question

I am using Visual Basic Express 2010 edition. I have a combo box named cboTester, an output combobox called cboOutput and a separate class called 'ListClass'

The cboTester has 3 options, EN, FR and DE.

In the list class I have 3 string arrays;

Public Shared Tester_EN() {"Yes", "No"} Public Shared Tester_FR() {"Maybe", "Kind of"} Public Shared Tester_DE() {"No", "No way"}

Is there a way using vb.net that I can use the input from the cboTester do determine how cboOutput is populated?

I was thinking it would something similar to the answer detailed below. Please note; this is written free-type and not copied and pasted from somewhere I can check it!

private sub cboTester_SelectedIndexChanged()
 if cboTester_SelectedItem = "EN" then
    strTest = "EN"
 else if cboTester_SelectedItem = "FR" then
    strTest = "FR" ...
end if

ArrayName = "ListClass.Tester_" & strTest

cboOutput.items.addrange(ArrayName)

--- EDIT BELOW THE LINE 14/06/2013 2:45AM GMT It seems like I could do with giving a bit more information here.

The reason why I want to do it like this is because I have lots and lots of arrays, which are set up with the description of Arrayname_Lang (eg. Reasons_EN, Reasons_FR, Reasons_DE, House_EN, House_FR,House_DE) So I want to be able to write my load functions as;

cboReasons.Items.AddRange("ListClass.reasons" & language)

rather than having to write each possible variant

Thanks Maudise

Fabian Tamp · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-14 01:43:16Z

1

I'd make your three Tester variables a single Dictionary(Of String, String()), with keys "EN", "FR", and "DE":

Public Shared Tester as Dictionary(Of String, String())
...
Tester = new Dictionary(Of String, String())
Tester.Add("EN", {"Yes", "No"});
Tester.Add("FR", {"Maybe", "Kind of"});
Tester.Add("DE", {"No", "No way"});

and then use:

cboOutput.items.addrange(Tester(cboTester_SelectedItem)))

(Sorry for any syntax discrepancies, my VB.NET is a bit rusty)

edited Jun 14, 2013 at 1:43

answered Jun 14, 2013 at 1:17

Fabian Tamp

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3 Comments

Maudise Over a year ago

Hi,I tried and made a few amendments but it doesn't work. I'm getting NullREferenceException. ` Private Sub cboTester_SelectedIndexChanged(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles cboTester.SelectedIndexChanged cboOutput.Items.AddRange(tester(cboTester.SelectedText)) End Sub` Public tester As Dictionary(Of String, String()) tester.Add("EN", {"Yes", "No"}) tester.Add("FR", {"Maybe", "Kind of"}) tester.Add("DE", {"No", "No Way"})

Fabian Tamp Over a year ago

Edited - you need to instantiate the object before you call 'Add'.

Maudise Over a year ago

Thanks, I've added it to make it "Test_EN" or "Test_FR" and then I've changed the cboOutput.items.addrange(tester("Test_"&cboTester.selectedItem)) and that seems to be working. I should be able to adapt it from here. THANKS! I'll be back if I need any more!

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