Lesson 9 Try It (declaring variable before opening forms)

MinusZero · October 24th, 2012, 09:50 PM

Hi,

Just a quick question.

Is it always necessary to create a variable before opening another form?

example:

Code:

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            //initialise the form variables but dont display them

            theGettingThereForm = new GettingThereForm();
            theGettingAroundForm = new GettingAroundForm();
            theLodgingForm = new LodgingForm();
            theFunStuffForm = new FunStuffForm();

        }
        
        private void btnGettingThere_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            //On button Click, open a new form instance

            theGettingThereForm.Show();

        }

Can you not create a variable and just open the form directly? like below

Code:

GettingThereForm.Show();

Just curious...(might save some typing)

Also, the book wasnt clear on how to get the Load event handler into the code. I found it by double clicking Load in the form1 design events list. I dont recall seeing it mentioned in the book. Maybe I missed it.

I am loving this book, learning so much

Rod Stephens · October 25th, 2012, 04:00 PM

The short answer is, "Yes you must make a variable of the form's type and then display that."

When you add a form to a project, you are defining the type of the form. (The form's class.) You don't actually have an instance of the form.

It's sort of like the int data type defines what an integer is but it doesn't actually make a particular integer.

When you do something like this:

Code:

theGettingThereForm = new GettingThereForm();

you're telling the program to make an instance of the form. Now you can display that instance.

You could also make several variables refer to different instances of the form (just like you can have several int variables that represent different values) and display some or all of them.

Note that if you try to say GettingThereForm.Show() you get a syntax error.

Also you could say (new Form2()).Show() but then you wouldn't have a variable referring to the form so the code couldn't interact with it later.

Aside: In Visual Basic there is a special instance of each form with the same name as the form so you can basically do what you suggest. I have never liked that special instance because it often confuses programmers so I never use it.

MinusZero · October 25th, 2012, 08:22 PM

Ahh, thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rod Stephens

When you do something like this:

Code:

theGettingThereForm = new GettingThereForm();

you're telling the program to make an instance of the form. Now you can display that instance.

Makes sense now, I was thinking the form was already an instance and didnt need to be made (new) to be able to be displayed.