How Do I: Put this routine in a class?

Question

Hello:

I have the following code in mty programs. I would like to put it in a class or something and just call it. So I can get rid of the redunda nt code in all my forms. Any suggestions?
I have tried to put it in a class, but it gives me an error on the 'GetNextControl'.

public FormICEPack()
{
InitializeComponent();
//
Control TheControl = GetNextControl(null, true);
while (TheControl != null)
{
if (TheControl.GetType().Name == "TextBox")
{
TheControl.Enter += new EventHandler(Object_Enter);
TheControl.Leave += new EventHandler(Object_Leave);
TheControl.Click += new EventHandler(Object_Click);
TheControl.MouseHover += new EventHandler(textBox_MouseHover);
TheControl.MouseLeave += new EventHandler(textBox_MouseLeave);
}
TheControl = GetNextControl(TheControl, true);
}
}

Sam Hobbs · Answer

The best solution is to derive a class from TextBox and use that class instead. I am not sure of the details of doing that but I think someone posted instructions a couple of weeks ago. Or you could write a UserControl. I assume that what happened is that you developed your application then realized you wanted to add the event handlers for the TextBoxes so we helped you to retrofit your application. Probably the only reason that GetNextControl does not work in another class is that you need to pass the Form. When you learn the fundamentals of C# it will be as clear as air that that is needed and and how to do it.

Gustavo · Answer

Sam: I have written so many routines in the past few weeks. Now its time to clean them up and put them in their own place so I can reduce code in the forms. If I remember correctly: My Login program was like 800 lines and now its down to 200 lines. I recently wrote routines to do validation to about 10 different types and it works cool. The validation routines are long and I hate to repeat the code in every form.

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Yeah UserControls seem to be the C# way of doing things. In C++ Microsoft has MFC which has extensive support of deriving from MFC objects. In C# UserControls are easy. I think object-oriented enthusiasts and language specialists would consider derivation to be more elegant than UserControls but I am not sure.

Gustavo · Answer

Sam: Thanks... you used the key word that I was looking for to find my solution. UserControl... Thanks