Call UserControl using string at C#

Question

2.33/5 (3 votes)

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Hello, does anybody have a good example how to call one of many UserControls by a string:
I have many classes like:

C#

public partial class UserControl1 : UserControl
public partial class UserControl2 : UserControl
public partial class UserControl3 : UserControl

and main Form, and a string:

C#

public partial class MainForm : Form
string[] callUserControl = {UserControl1,UserControl2,UserControl3};

In specific event, I would like to call a UserControlX from a string[X], and pass that control to a panel.
Those are names of user control classes, and i want to pass the type of a control to the panel but by selecting it from a string.
Something like a Reflection

Thanks in advance!

Posted 14-Mar-11 4:37am

prromap

Updated 14-Mar-11 5:10am

v3

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Comments

Manfred Rudolf Bihy 14-Mar-11 10:43am

Added pre tags, minor spelling and grammar adjustments.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 14-Mar-11 16:20pm

Don't say what you don't understand! This is nothing like Reflection.
This is very dirty programming relying on hard-coded (immediate) constants.
The whole design is wrong, should be re-considered.
Also, "Call UserControl makes no sense". The Question demonstrate confusion in basic concepts.
--SA

Toli Cuturicu 14-Mar-11 18:35pm

Non-sense. Have my One.

2 solutions

Solution 1

Do you mean you want to pass the type of a control to the panel or are you talking about an instance of one of your user controls? I'm asking this because your the names in the array intializer look like the names of your user control classes.

Regards,

Posted 14-Mar-11 4:43am

Manfred Rudolf Bihy

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Olivier Levrey · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-14T05:27:00

Solution 3

For example, you can use a Dictionary that gives the type you want from the string, and then instanciate the type:

C#

//associates a type to a string
Dictionary<string, Type> types = new Dictionary<string, Type>();
//add your types
types["UserControl1"] = typeof(UserControl1);
types["UserControl2"] = typeof(UserControl2);
types["UserControl3"] = typeof(UserControl3);

To instanciate the type from the string:

C#

UserControl InstanciateMyUserControl(string className)
{
    return types[className].InvokeMember(null, System.Reflection.BindingFlags.CreateInstance, null, null, null) as UserControl;
}

Posted 14-Mar-11 5:27am

Olivier Levrey

Comments

prromap 14-Mar-11 11:45am

Finally an Excellent solution!

Olivier Levrey 14-Mar-11 11:52am

Thank you.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 14-Mar-11 16:17pm

It looks like an excellent solution by OP who welcomes unacceptable practice of selecting an object by name (or any other hard-coded string), which is dirty and not supportable.
There is a little value in answer so I cannot give a good vote.
I cannot down-vote your answer because this is not your fault. I won't vote this time.
--SA

Olivier Levrey 15-Mar-11 5:08am

Actually you are right. I first wanted to add some comments about considering another solution but I was lazy this time...

prromap 15-Mar-11 11:35am

I don't agree with you, i get the solution i wanted, i fits the purpose, "dirty and not supportable", it's your opinion but in my and certain cases it's the ultimate...

Espen Harlinn 17-Mar-11 9:58am

Good effort, my 5