Generating Form on the Fly

Question

Can anyone point me at some information that might help me to construct a windows form on the fly? I'd like to be able to interogate a ISAM database and generate a form complete with functions to modify add and delete records on each file defined in the db. I know that this is possible. I'm just not sure where to start.

Administrator · Answer

Ok. I think I've got it. Is this what I should attempt? Create a blank form of some size. Then in the initialize component method (generated by studio) I would add a function call that interogates my database and adds components to my form like this: this.PrmptLocationNumber.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(16 24); this.PrmptLocationNumber.Name = PrmptLocationNumber; this.PrmptLocationNumber.TabIndex = 0; this.PrmptLocationNumber.Text = LocationNumber; // // LocationNumber // this.LocationNumber.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(120 16); this.LocationNumber.Name = LocationNumber; this.LocationNumber.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(128 20); this.LocationNumber.TabIndex = 1; this.LocationNumber.Text = ; Then of course I would add things like a scroll bar or resize the form itself as appropriate.

Administrator · Answer

I think you missed the point. mike is not suggesting you create .cs files on the fly. Create a template form in VS that has the general characteristics of the from you want to display then modify the elements - labels etc on the fly based on info from the db. It may not be a perfect solution - but it is achievable. Actually generating/compiling source on the fly is in another realm of complexity Bill F

Administrator · Answer

That probably would work. I could definitely generate the CS files. But I'm a little unclear about the RESX files. The base RESX file seems to be pretty consistent for every test form that I've generated. But any images added to the form will be digitized and stored as hex data in the RESX file. Okay I can avoid images on the form for my app. That's acceptable. Does anyone know of any other complications in generating the RESX files also? Also what about building an app where I don't actually generate CS files that need to be compiled? (Instead I could build an app that creates the form on the fly and constructs fields on the form based on what is discovered in the database.)

Administrator · Answer

The first steps would be to create a form using Visual Studio .NET and the database features you are interested in by dragging and dropping data components. Next use this code that Visual Studio generates for you as a sort of template for generating your own Windows Forms. You'll need to create a parsing function that replaces strings inside your form with ones you want to custom generate. I know this is a vague description of the approach but I think it should get you thinking in the right direction ;-). -Mike G.