Hi there,

I have a user interface that I use to enter employee data including socials which are stored as a string. When validating the data, I'm getting stuck in a loop. Basically, if a user doesn't enter anything in the box or if the data isn't a digit, an input box pops up and asks them to reenter the data. However, even if the user enters the appropriate number of characters, they get stuck in a loop.

Private Sub saveButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles saveButton.Click

Dim SSN As String
Dim SSN_COPY As String
Dim SSN_FIRST As String
Dim SSN2 As String
Dim SSN_LAST As String
Dim SSN_MID As String

If ssnTextBox.Text = String.Empty Then
Do
SSN = InputBox("Enter a 9-digit social security number (no dashes)", "Soc Sec Number")
Loop Until SSN.Length = 9 And (ssnTextBox.Text Like "#########")

ElseIf ssnTextBox.Text.Length <> 9 Then
Do
SSN = InputBox("Enter a 9-digit social security number (no dashes)", "Soc Sec Number")
Loop Until SSN.Length = 9 And (ssnTextBox.Text Like "#########")

ElseIf Not (ssnTextBox.Text Like "#########") Then
Do
SSN = InputBox("Enter a 9-digit social security number (no dashes)", "Soc Sec Number")
Loop Until ssnTextBox.Text.Length = 9 And (ssnTextBox.Text Like "#########")

End

Else
SSN = ssnTextBox.Text
SSN_COPY = SSN
SSN_FIRST = SSN_COPY.Remove(3, 6)
SSN_LAST = SSN_COPY.Remove(0, 5)
SSN2 = SSN_COPY
SSN_COPY = Mid(SSN2, 4, 2)
SSN_MID = SSN_COPY

ssnTextBox.Text = (SSN_FIRST & "-" & SSN_MID & "-" & SSN_LAST)
End If

Any suggestions? Thanks!

Trixie

Hi Trixie,

It looks like the test to end the loop is looking at the newly entered SSN value to see if it has length 9 but then it also looks at the TextBox's Text to see if it has the format #########. If the TextBox initially had some other format, then that won't change when the user enters a value in the InputBox. You need it to test the new value in SSN instead of the TextBox.

I think I would replace the whole If Then Else sequence with something like this:

Let me know if that doesn't get you going again.

__________________
Rod

Rod Stephens, Microsoft MVP

Essential Algorithms: A Practical Approach to Computer Algorithms

(Please post reviews at Amazon or wherever you shop!)

I'm no longer stuck in the loop and my input box works correctly if a user enters an alpha character but the information is not displaying correctly in my textbox. The original data is staying in there instead.

Dim SSN As String = ssnTextBox.Text
Dim SSN_COPY As String
Dim SSN_FIRST As String
Dim SSN2 As String
Dim SSN_LAST As String
Dim SSN_MID As String


If ssnTextBox.Text = String.Empty Or SSN.Length <> 9 Then
Do While (SSN.Length <> 9) OrElse (Not (SSN Like "#########"))
SSN = InputBox("Enter a 9-digit social security number (no dashes)", _
"Soc Sec Number", SSN)
Loop
Else

SSN_COPY = SSN
SSN_FIRST = SSN_COPY.Remove(3, 6)
SSN_LAST = SSN_COPY.Remove(0, 5)
SSN2 = SSN_COPY
SSN_COPY = Mid(SSN2, 4, 2)
SSN_MID = SSN_COPY

ssnTextBox.Text = (SSN_FIRST & "-" & SSN_MID & "-" & SSN_LAST)
End If

You have all of the code that splits apart the SSN in the Else part of the If Then Else statement so it only executes if the user enters a valid SSN to being with. You should probably move that code outside of the If Then Else statement. (And remove the Else part entirely.)

__________________
Rod

Rod Stephens, Microsoft MVP

Essential Algorithms: A Practical Approach to Computer Algorithms

(Please post reviews at Amazon or wherever you shop!)

That worked! Thank you so much. I've been working on this for hours trying to get it to work properly. Have a great day and thanks again for your help!