How Can I Shorten My Code

Question

2.00/5 (1 vote)

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Hi, I've been writing code for a personal project and it now all works exactly how I want it to with no errors!

The thing is im very new to coding and the code is very long with the same code copied over and over

VB

Private Sub Plus1_ClickButtonArea(Sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles Plus1.ClickButtonArea
        Dim ask As String
        If TextBox1.Visible = False Then
            ask = InputBox("Enter Income Name")
            If ask.Length <> 0 Then
                TextBox1.Visible = True
                Label1.Visible = True
                Label1.Text = ask
                Plus1.Visible = False
                Negative1.Visible = True
            Else
                Exit Sub
            End If
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Plus2_ClickButtonArea(Sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles Plus2.ClickButtonArea
        Dim ask As String
        If TextBox2.Visible = False Then
            ask = InputBox("Enter Income Name")
            If ask.Length <> 0 Then
                TextBox2.Visible = True
                Label2.Visible = True
                Label2.Text = ask
                Plus2.Visible = False
                Negative2.Visible = True
            Else
                Exit Sub
            End If
        End If
    End Sub

................................

Private Sub Plus26_ClickButtonArea(Sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles Plus26.ClickButtonArea
        Dim ask As String
        If TextBox26.Visible = False Then
            ask = InputBox("Enter Income Name")
            If ask.Length <> 0 Then
                TextBox26.Visible = True
                Label26.Visible = True
                Label26.Text = ask
                Plus26.Visible = False
                Negative26.Visible = True
            Else
                Exit Sub
            End If
        End If
    End Sub

As you can see there are 26 buttons and the same code is repeated for every button. Is there a way to make that shorter

and also

VB

Private Sub Add_ClickButtonArea(Sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles AddRemove.ClickButtonArea
        WorkItOut.Visible = False
        AddRemove.Visible = False
        Rename.Visible = False
        Done.Visible = True
        Panel1.Visible = True
        Panel2.Visible = True

        If TextBox1.Visible = False Then

            Plus1.Visible = True
        Else
            Negative1.Visible = True
        End If
        If TextBox2.Visible = False Then

            Plus2.Visible = True
        Else
            Negative2.Visible = True
        End If
        If TextBox3.Visible = False Then.................

That also goes up to 26

I've tried so many different things and failed that I think its now time to ask as im sure there's a really easy answer to this.

Thanks

Posted 3-Dec-13 8:26am

Member 10439491

Updated 5-Jun-20 3:24am

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Comments

TnTinMn 3-Dec-13 20:40pm

Does each grouping of buttons, textbox, and labels maintain the same relative position to each other? If so, consider creating a UserControl that contains each of these items and write your logic once into that UserControl. Then you can add this UserControl to your form and they will all behave according to the same logic.

Member 10439491 4-Dec-13 14:21pm

how do I go about doing that?

Aravindba 5-Dec-13 1:02am

try to use for each statement,like dim i as integer=1 to 26,and use i for append in textbox and label,positive and negative also.use dosomething fuction and pass parameter with append i value

3 solutions

Solution 1

This part of code:

VB

Dim ask As String
        If TextBox1.Visible = False Then
            ask = InputBox("Enter Income Name")
            If ask.Length <> 0 Then
                TextBox1.Visible = True
                Label1.Visible = True
                Label1.Text = ask
                Plus1.Visible = False
                Negative1.Visible = True
            Else
                Exit Sub
            End If
        End If

move to another procedure/function, like that:

VB

Private Sub DoSomething()
        Dim ask As String, bRetVal As Boolean
        If TextBox1.Visible Then Exit Sub
        ask = InputBox("Enter Income Name")
        bRetVal = (ask.Length > 0) 
        TextBox1.Visible = bRetVal
        Label1.Visible = bRetVal
        Label1.Text = bRetVal
        Plus1.Visible = bRetVal
        Negative1.Visible = bRetVal
End Sub

After that, call it:

VB

Private Sub Plus1_ClickButtonArea(Sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles Plus1.ClickButtonArea
    DoSomething()
    End Sub

Note: Please, have a look at DoSomething() procedure. Do you see the difference between your and mine code?

Posted 3-Dec-13 8:55am

Maciej Los

Updated 3-Dec-13 8:57am

v2

Comments

CHill60 3-Dec-13 16:11pm

Hi Maciej Los... good answer ... but I think you forgot to pass the controls into the DoSomething() sub. I think the OP might need that extra nudge

Maciej Los 3-Dec-13 16:14pm

Thank you, Chill ;)
No, i haven't forgot. Have a look inside DoSomething procedure... ;)

CHill60 3-Dec-13 16:24pm

d'oh ... got caught out by that old true/false game again *slaps head*

Maciej Los 3-Dec-13 16:26pm

;)

Member 10439491 3-Dec-13 17:19pm

I see the difference but wouldn't that only work for textbox1 and still have to write that same code for textbox2 and 3 and so on?

Aravindba 3-Dec-13 21:43pm

hai which click event occor first ? Plus1_ClickButtonArea or Add_ClickButtonArea ?

Member 10439491 4-Dec-13 13:36pm

Well Add_ClickButtonArea is a single button on my form that makes 26 little add buttons visible. if a textbox next to that +button is visible then a -button is made visible next to it and the +button invisible. if that makes sense.
Plus1_ClickButtonArea is for each of the 26 little buttons

Solution 3

Quote:

Does each grouping of buttons, textbox, and labels maintain the same relative position to each other? If so, consider creating a UserControl that contains each of these items and write your logic once into that UserControl. Then you can add this UserControl to your form and they will all behave according to the same logic.
TnTinMn - 17 hrs ago
Reply
[Modify the comment.] [Delete the comment.]
how do I go about doing that?
Member 10439491 - 7 mins ago
Reply

Since you asked, I will present this an alternative solution.
1. Select "Add UserControl" From the "Project Menu" (File - Edit - View - Project -...) at the top of the VS IDE.
2. You can add controls from the toolbox similar to the way you add them to a form.
3. You can also add the code behind just like with a form.
4. After you have made changes to your UserControl, "Build" the project by right-clicking on the project in the "Solution Explorer" window and select "Build".
5. Go back to the design view of your form. The UserControl should be present in your ToolBox at the top under the tab "YourProjectName Components". Now you can add it to your form.

Posted 4-Dec-13 8:40am

TnTinMn

Comments

Member 10439491 4-Dec-13 16:23pm

That seems like a good idea but I think ill have to use that for next time or ill have to remake my form I think

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Matt T Heffron · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-03T14:06:00

Solution 2

Extending a bit on Maciej's solution:
(I'm guessing on the types of plus and negative.)

VB

Private Sub DoSomething(textBox as TextBox, label as Label, plus as Button, negative as Button)
        Dim ask As String, bRetVal As Boolean
        If textBox.Visible Then Exit Sub
        ask = InputBox("Enter Income Name")
        bRetVal = (ask.Length > 0) 
        textBox.Visible = bRetVal
        label.Visible = bRetVal
        label.Text = ask
        plus.Visible = bRetVal
        negative.Visible = bRetVal
End Sub

After that, call it:

VB

Private Sub Plus1_ClickButtonArea(Sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs) Handles Plus1.ClickButtonArea
    DoSomething(TextBox1, Label1, Plus1, Negative1)
    End Sub

Call the same DoSomething method with different arguments for each case.

Posted 3-Dec-13 14:06pm

Matt T Heffron

Updated 4-Dec-13 7:33am

v3

Comments

Maciej Los 4-Dec-13 6:32am

Good alternative ;)
+5!

Member 10439491 4-Dec-13 13:30pm

aha that would work. ill give that a go Thanks Everyone

Matt T Heffron 4-Dec-13 13:34pm

Great.
Note that I just fixed an error in the assignment to label.Text

Member 10439491 4-Dec-13 13:38pm

Yea I noticed that after I tried it and my label was named "true" rather then what was in my inputbox :)

Member 10439491 4-Dec-13 13:44pm

oh and Plus1 and negative1 are CButtonLib.Cbutton so I need to try and make plus.Visible = bRetVal and negative.Visible = bRetVal work

Member 10439491 4-Dec-13 13:49pm

answered my own question, plus as cbuttonlib.cbutton