> Hi, I'd appreciate some help, please. I'm writing a VS2005 VB project
> for school and one of the requirements is that every screen should have
> a "Help" button.
>
> I could do it by writing a clumsy case statement like this:
>
> sub showHelp(byval frm as String)
> Select Case (frm)
>    Case "Form1"
>           dim help as new Form1
>            help.Show()
>    Case "Form2"
>           Dim help as new Form2
>           help.Show()
> ... etc
>
> I searched and found Activator. I think this will make for better code.
>
> So I wrote:
>
>     Sub ShowHelp(ByVal strFrom As String)
>             Dim frmhelp = Activator.CreateInstance(Nothing, strFrom)
>             frmhelp.show()
>      End Sub
>
>
> but now I'm getting a TypeLoadException that says:
>
> Could not load type 'hlpForm1' from assembly 'TestHelp,
> Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.
>
> The form I'm testing from is Form1 and I do have a form hlpForm1
> defined. They are in the same Namespace and in the same assembly in the
> same project.
>
> I'm lost. Can someone please help and tell me what I'm doing wrong?
> Thanks.

"Tom Shelton" <tom_shel***@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1163749746.313002.242880@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
>
> MikeB wrote:
>> Hi, I'd appreciate some help, please. I'm writing a VS2005 VB project
>> for school and one of the requirements is that every screen should have
>> a "Help" button.
>>
>> I could do it by writing a clumsy case statement like this:
>>
>> sub showHelp(byval frm as String)
>> Select Case (frm)
>>    Case "Form1"
>>           dim help as new Form1
>>            help.Show()
>>    Case "Form2"
>>           Dim help as new Form2
>>           help.Show()
>> ... etc
>>
>> I searched and found Activator. I think this will make for better code.
>>
>> So I wrote:
>>
>>     Sub ShowHelp(ByVal strFrom As String)
>>             Dim frmhelp = Activator.CreateInstance(Nothing, strFrom)
>>             frmhelp.show()
>>      End Sub
>>
>>
>> but now I'm getting a TypeLoadException that says:
>>
>> Could not load type 'hlpForm1' from assembly 'TestHelp,
>> Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.
>>
>> The form I'm testing from is Form1 and I do have a form hlpForm1
>> defined. They are in the same Namespace and in the same assembly in the
>> same project.
>>
>> I'm lost. Can someone please help and tell me what I'm doing wrong?
>> Thanks.
>
> I use this kind of dynamic code all the time for creating user controls
> for screens on wizards or such, I have also used it to implement
> command objects for a server.  It made extending the servers command
> set much simpler - I simply inherited from an abstract base command
> object, and then would override a single method.  I never even had to
> touch the server again - I simply passed the command string to a
> factory class which returned a reference to the abstract class and used
> activator to create the actual comman implementation object (the object
> name was the same as the command).  And your right, it can make better
> code (if used properly).
>
> Anyway, for your specific problem - I believe that you need to pass the
> name of the object.  I know your saying that you did - I passed
> "hlpForm1", but the fact is that isn't really the name of your class.
> Your class is really going to be something (based on the error message)
> "TestHelp.hlpForm1".  Since all of these are in the same assembly, I
> would try to change your function like this:
>
> Sub ShowHelp(ByVal strFrom As String)
>             Dim frmhelp As Form = DirectCast
> (Activator.CreateInstance(Nothing, "TestHelp." & strFrom), Form) ' we
> do have option strict on right?
>             frmhelp.show()
> End Sub
>
> Casting to form is fine because it will be your super class.  Anyway,
> try that and if it doesn't work, maybe you could post a little more of
> your code.
>
> --
> Tom Shelton
>

> Stephany Young wrote:
> > Right on the money Tom, and you're absolutely correct, one must supply the
> > fully qualified class name.
> >
> > I've successfully used this technique and I've a couple of notes that might
> > be helpful.
> >
> > I prefer to use the overloads of the Activator.CreateInstance method that
> > take a Type as the first parameter as those return Object's as opposed to
> > the other overloads which return ObjectHandle's.  This means that one has to
> > call the Type.GetType method using the class name string to get it to work,
> > e.g.:
>
> Actually, using the type overload is the way I usally do it.  I had
> forgotten that the other returns an ObjectHandle.
>
> --
> Tom Shelton

"MikeB" <MPBr***@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163822183.032475.118350@j44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Thank you to all for your help. I used this to make it work:
>
> Dim _f As Form =
> DirectCast(Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetType("TestHelp." &
> strFrom),
> Form)
>  _f.Show()
>
> I think there was a ")" missing, but I figured it out. It works great.
>
> However, that gave me an idea and I have now created a single form with
> a picturebox and a rich text box. Into these controls I load two files,
> each with the same name as the name of the form calling for help. That
> works too. Since I already have to write all the help text and capture
> the screen images, it seems simpler to forego the creation of the
> multiple individual forms my original approach would entail. Comments?
>
>
> Tom Shelton wrote:
>> Stephany Young wrote:
>> > Right on the money Tom, and you're absolutely correct, one must supply
>> > the
>> > fully qualified class name.
>> >
>> > I've successfully used this technique and I've a couple of notes that
>> > might
>> > be helpful.
>> >
>> > I prefer to use the overloads of the Activator.CreateInstance method
>> > that
>> > take a Type as the first parameter as those return Object's as opposed
>> > to
>> > the other overloads which return ObjectHandle's.  This means that one
>> > has to
>> > call the Type.GetType method using the class name string to get it to
>> > work,
>> > e.g.:
>>
>> Actually, using the type overload is the way I usally do it.  I had
>> forgotten that the other returns an ObjectHandle.
>>
>> --
>> Tom Shelton
>

> Now you're getting into the realm of 'how long is a piece of string?'.
>
> There is no right or wrong answer and everybody will have their own (valid)
> opinion on the subject.
>
> I note in you original post that this is for a school assignment. My advice
> to you is to address the requirements of the assignment of which you have
> previously only alluded to one aspect (the help button).
>
> If your teacher/tutor is worth his/her salt, part of the marking process
> will be to gauge how you have gone about the 'problem solving' aspect and,
> supplying someone else's opinion and/or solution and presenting it as your
> work is not what it's all about.
>
> That said, I will say that, in my opinion, you are on the right track with a
> 'reusable' concept.
>
>
> "MikeB" <MPBr***@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163822183.032475.118350@j44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > Thank you to all for your help. I used this to make it work:
> >
> > Dim _f As Form =
> > DirectCast(Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetType("TestHelp." &
> > strFrom),
> > Form)
> >  _f.Show()
> >
> > I think there was a ")" missing, but I figured it out. It works great.
> >
> > However, that gave me an idea and I have now created a single form with
> > a picturebox and a rich text box. Into these controls I load two files,
> > each with the same name as the name of the form calling for help. That
> > works too. Since I already have to write all the help text and capture
> > the screen images, it seems simpler to forego the creation of the
> > multiple individual forms my original approach would entail. Comments?
> >
> >
> > Tom Shelton wrote:
> >> Stephany Young wrote:
> >> > Right on the money Tom, and you're absolutely correct, one must supply
> >> > the
> >> > fully qualified class name.
> >> >
> >> > I've successfully used this technique and I've a couple of notes that
> >> > might
> >> > be helpful.
> >> >
> >> > I prefer to use the overloads of the Activator.CreateInstance method
> >> > that
> >> > take a Type as the first parameter as those return Object's as opposed
> >> > to
> >> > the other overloads which return ObjectHandle's.  This means that one
> >> > has to
> >> > call the Type.GetType method using the class name string to get it to
> >> > work,
> >> > e.g.:
> >>
> >> Actually, using the type overload is the way I usally do it.  I had
> >> forgotten that the other returns an ObjectHandle.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Tom Shelton
> >

"MikeB" <MPBr***@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1163881629.277575.228500@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
> Ouch. I wasn't intending to represent someone else's opinion as my own,
> I was merely asking a group of people I think are more experienced than
> myself if my current plan is better program-wise than my original plan
> that I presented and that I got help with. If I wanted to use other
> people's work, a previous copy of this project is doing the rounds, I
> could have just taken a loook at that to see how it was solved
> previously. I'm trying to learn here.
>
> As for the teacher, I lost more point on pixellated images and bad
> grammar than on anything else and there is no feedback on the type of
> code that I write. I figured most of it out from the lecture and
> working through the book and using the Visual Studio Help.
>
> The Activator. thing was just over my head, hence I asked for help.
> Even if I did ask for help, the solution I have now come up with is not
> based on any help I've been given, I was just asking if it was good. I
> prefer it because while I have the working code for the activator., I
> don't really understand how it does what it does. If my own solution
> wasn't good, I'd have to spend even more time trying to dig in deep
> enough to understand how it actually works. With my courseload, time is
> very scarce. I work part-time and have a full 12 hours of coursework.
>
>
> Stephany Young wrote:
>> Now you're getting into the realm of 'how long is a piece of string?'.
>>
>> There is no right or wrong answer and everybody will have their own
>> (valid)
>> opinion on the subject.
>>
>> I note in you original post that this is for a school assignment. My
>> advice
>> to you is to address the requirements of the assignment of which you have
>> previously only alluded to one aspect (the help button).
>>
>> If your teacher/tutor is worth his/her salt, part of the marking process
>> will be to gauge how you have gone about the 'problem solving' aspect
>> and,
>> supplying someone else's opinion and/or solution and presenting it as
>> your
>> work is not what it's all about.
>>
>> That said, I will say that, in my opinion, you are on the right track
>> with a
>> 'reusable' concept.
>>
>>
>> "MikeB" <MPBr***@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1163822183.032475.118350@j44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> > Thank you to all for your help. I used this to make it work:
>> >
>> > Dim _f As Form =
>> > DirectCast(Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetType("TestHelp." &
>> > strFrom),
>> > Form)
>> >  _f.Show()
>> >
>> > I think there was a ")" missing, but I figured it out. It works great.
>> >
>> > However, that gave me an idea and I have now created a single form with
>> > a picturebox and a rich text box. Into these controls I load two files,
>> > each with the same name as the name of the form calling for help. That
>> > works too. Since I already have to write all the help text and capture
>> > the screen images, it seems simpler to forego the creation of the
>> > multiple individual forms my original approach would entail. Comments?
>> >
>> >
>> > Tom Shelton wrote:
>> >> Stephany Young wrote:
>> >> > Right on the money Tom, and you're absolutely correct, one must
>> >> > supply
>> >> > the
>> >> > fully qualified class name.
>> >> >
>> >> > I've successfully used this technique and I've a couple of notes
>> >> > that
>> >> > might
>> >> > be helpful.
>> >> >
>> >> > I prefer to use the overloads of the Activator.CreateInstance method
>> >> > that
>> >> > take a Type as the first parameter as those return Object's as
>> >> > opposed
>> >> > to
>> >> > the other overloads which return ObjectHandle's.  This means that
>> >> > one
>> >> > has to
>> >> > call the Type.GetType method using the class name string to get it
>> >> > to
>> >> > work,
>> >> > e.g.:
>> >>
>> >> Actually, using the type overload is the way I usally do it.  I had
>> >> forgotten that the other returns an ObjectHandle.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Tom Shelton
>> >
>

"Stephany Young" <noone@localhost> schreef in bericht
news:eov1Vb1CHHA.3916@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> If I understand you correctly and your tutor is putting more emphasis on
> the quality of the 'help' content than how it is implemented, then all I
> can say is that I would be asking for my money back.
>
> I appreciate that uasge of the Activator is probably outside or more
> advanced than the remit of your course. You will note also that my
> response was to add to Tom's response, rather than addressing your
> original post.
>
> My more recent post was is response to your supplementary question as to
> whether it was better to use a single form or use a seperate form for each
> help 'context'. My main point here was that if you polled 20 people on the
> subject you would, most likely, get 20 different views, all of which are
> valid. Again, you will note that I did say that, in my view, you were were
> on the right track with reusability.
>
> My other comments were meant to be a generalisation prompted by the number
> of posts we see in here looking for the answers to homework assignments
> and were not meant to be a criticism of you personally.
>
>
> "MikeB" <MPBr***@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163881629.277575.228500@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
>> Ouch. I wasn't intending to represent someone else's opinion as my own,
>> I was merely asking a group of people I think are more experienced than
>> myself if my current plan is better program-wise than my original plan
>> that I presented and that I got help with. If I wanted to use other
>> people's work, a previous copy of this project is doing the rounds, I
>> could have just taken a loook at that to see how it was solved
>> previously. I'm trying to learn here.
>>
>> As for the teacher, I lost more point on pixellated images and bad
>> grammar than on anything else and there is no feedback on the type of
>> code that I write. I figured most of it out from the lecture and
>> working through the book and using the Visual Studio Help.
>>
>> The Activator. thing was just over my head, hence I asked for help.
>> Even if I did ask for help, the solution I have now come up with is not
>> based on any help I've been given, I was just asking if it was good. I
>> prefer it because while I have the working code for the activator., I
>> don't really understand how it does what it does. If my own solution
>> wasn't good, I'd have to spend even more time trying to dig in deep
>> enough to understand how it actually works. With my courseload, time is
>> very scarce. I work part-time and have a full 12 hours of coursework.
>>
>>
>> Stephany Young wrote:
>>> Now you're getting into the realm of 'how long is a piece of string?'.
>>>
>>> There is no right or wrong answer and everybody will have their own
>>> (valid)
>>> opinion on the subject.
>>>
>>> I note in you original post that this is for a school assignment. My
>>> advice
>>> to you is to address the requirements of the assignment of which you
>>> have
>>> previously only alluded to one aspect (the help button).
>>>
>>> If your teacher/tutor is worth his/her salt, part of the marking process
>>> will be to gauge how you have gone about the 'problem solving' aspect
>>> and,
>>> supplying someone else's opinion and/or solution and presenting it as
>>> your
>>> work is not what it's all about.
>>>
>>> That said, I will say that, in my opinion, you are on the right track
>>> with a
>>> 'reusable' concept.
>>>
>>>
>>> "MikeB" <MPBr***@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1163822183.032475.118350@j44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>> > Thank you to all for your help. I used this to make it work:
>>> >
>>> > Dim _f As Form =
>>> > DirectCast(Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetType("TestHelp." &
>>> > strFrom),
>>> > Form)
>>> >  _f.Show()
>>> >
>>> > I think there was a ")" missing, but I figured it out. It works great.
>>> >
>>> > However, that gave me an idea and I have now created a single form
>>> > with
>>> > a picturebox and a rich text box. Into these controls I load two
>>> > files,
>>> > each with the same name as the name of the form calling for help. That
>>> > works too. Since I already have to write all the help text and capture
>>> > the screen images, it seems simpler to forego the creation of the
>>> > multiple individual forms my original approach would entail. Comments?
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Tom Shelton wrote:
>>> >> Stephany Young wrote:
>>> >> > Right on the money Tom, and you're absolutely correct, one must
>>> >> > supply
>>> >> > the
>>> >> > fully qualified class name.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > I've successfully used this technique and I've a couple of notes
>>> >> > that
>>> >> > might
>>> >> > be helpful.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > I prefer to use the overloads of the Activator.CreateInstance
>>> >> > method
>>> >> > that
>>> >> > take a Type as the first parameter as those return Object's as
>>> >> > opposed
>>> >> > to
>>> >> > the other overloads which return ObjectHandle's.  This means that
>>> >> > one
>>> >> > has to
>>> >> > call the Type.GetType method using the class name string to get it
>>> >> > to
>>> >> > work,
>>> >> > e.g.:
>>> >>
>>> >> Actually, using the type overload is the way I usally do it.  I had
>>> >> forgotten that the other returns an ObjectHandle.
>>> >>
>>> >> --
>>> >> Tom Shelton
>>> >
>>
>
>

> Stephany and Tom,
>
> Where is the showed method be better than something as?
>
> Private function MyDialogShow(TheText)
>     dim myDialogForm as new MyDialogFormBase
>     MyDialogForm.TheText = TheText
>     return MyDialogFormBase.ShowDialog
> End function
>
> Or if it is about real forms just use the SortedList, with the string in the
> key and the object in the value.
>
> Seriously curious
>
> Cor