Access variable's value via its string name C#

Question

I want to store a series (six to be precise) of Windows Forms labels in an array. There are six labels, which follow the naming convention orderLabel0, orderLabel1... orderLabel5.

I would like to store the pointers to the orderLabels in an array:

Label[] orderLabels = new Label[6];
for(int index = 0; index < 6; index++)
{                
    orderLabels[index] = orderLabel + [index]; //Error!
}

The code somehow needs to treat the string as variable name and store them as "labels" rather than string in the orderLabels array. In other words, when orderLabels[0] is accessed, I am actually accessing orderLabel0.

Research here and there have led me to dynamic, Reflection and Dictionary options. However, they all require me to specify the object names (correct me if I am wrong), and I am trying to follow the "Do Not Repeat" yourself rule by not having to specify the object six times.

Please advise, thank you.

create a hashmap... i find it very funny that if i google most of these questions exactly ill get a stack overflow question with the answer. stackoverflow.com/questions/1293549/string-to-variable-name — washcloth
– washcloth, Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 21:25
child controls are already stored in the parent container Controls property — Sehnsucht
– Sehnsucht, Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 21:27
Does orderLabel0 to orderLabel5 already exist on your form? — Seany84
– Seany84, Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 21:27
Take a look at this post. You can simply find them using their names. The name which you need to use in the loop is string.Format("orderLabel{0}", index). — Reza Aghaei
– Reza Aghaei, Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 21:30

Seany84 · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-24 21:32:58Z

2

You can use the Controls form variable to look up the control by name:

Label[] orderLabels = new Label[6];
for(int index = 0; index < 6; index++)
{                
    orderLabels[index] = Controls[string.Format("orderLabel{0}", index)] as Label;
}

answered Aug 24, 2016 at 21:32

Seany84

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