How to access several dymanically created Combobox at form load? - arrays

Question

I'm creating comboboxes on form load, but the thing is once I have added a new cb I can't access (set value, edit properties, etc) of the prior ones.
See Below Example:
Sub Start_stackoverflow()
Dim strings() As String = {"Green", "Purple", "Red"}
Dim x as integer
For x = LBound(strings) To UBound(strings)
NewDropDown(x,50,100,strings(x),strings(x))
Next x
End Sub
Private Sub NewDropDown(ByVal Number As Integer, ByVal PosX As Integer, ByVal PosY As Integer, ByVal Name As String, ByVal Text As String)
cbComboBox = New ComboBox
cbComboBox.Location = New Point(150, PosY - 4%)
cbComboBox.Name = Number
cbComboBox.ForeColor = Color.White
cbComboBox.BackColor = Color.DarkBlue
cbComboBox.Text = Name
cbComboBox.AutoSize = True
Me.Controls.Add(cbComboBox)
End Sub
So this is what happens, I can create the comboboxes just fine, add the values but if I wanted to edit the combobox Green for example (since it was first) I cant.
Even If I try this:
Sub Test()
UpdateComboBoxCurrentlySelected(Green, MyValueIwantSelected)
End Sub
Sub UpdateComboBoxCurrentlySelected(ByVal SetGrpName As ComboBox, ByVal CurrentItem As String)
SetGrpName.Text = (CurrentItem)
SetGrpName.SelectedText = (CurrentItem)
SetGrpName.SelectedItem = (CurrentItem)
SetGrpName.SelectedIndex = (CurrentItem)
SetGrpName.SelectedValue = (CurrentItem)
End Sub
Can anyone shed some light on this, that way I will know how to do it properly.
Thanks

Answer 1

You either need to hold a reference to the object you want to edit:
' At form level
Private dropdowns As Dictionary(Of String, Combobox) = New Dictionary(Of String, ComboBox)
' Populate from Sub Start_stackoverflow()
Dim dropdown As ComboBox = Nothing
' ...
dropdown = NewDropDown(x,50,100,strings(x),strings(x))
dropdowns.Add(dropdown.Name, dropdown)
' change UpdateComboBoxCurrentlySelected signature to
Sub UpdateComboBoxCurrentlySelected(ByVal SetGrpName As String, ByVal CurrentItem As String)
' get the dropdown by name
Dim dropdown as ComboBox = dropdowns(SetGrpName)
' ...
Or you can iterate over all the controls in the form looking for the one with the name you asked for.
Dim foundControl As ComboBox = Nothing
For Each control As Control In Me.Controls
If control.GetType Is GetType(ComboBox) AndAlso (control.Name = SetGrpName) Then
foundControl = control
End If
Next
If Not Nothing Is foundControl Then
' Do something with your control.
End If