Button Array

' I am looking for a better way to create an array of buttons as was
' the case with VB6 
' The following snippet is the method I currently use in  VB2008 

' ** ======================= **
' ** ======================= **
' ** Author M O'Rourke       **
' ** December 2009           **
' ** ======================= **
' ** ======================= **
Public Class frmButtons

    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
    Private btnEvents() As System.Windows.Forms.Button

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New()

        'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
        InitializeComponent()

        'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call

    End Sub

    'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
    Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
        If disposing Then
            If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
                components.Dispose()
            End If
        End If
        MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
    End Sub

    'Required by the Windows Form Designer
    Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer
    Friend WithEvents lblStatus As System.Windows.Forms.Label
    Friend WithEvents grpMenu As System.Windows.Forms.GroupBox

    'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
    'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.  
    'Do not modify it using the code editor.
    <System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()
        Me.lblStatus = New System.Windows.Forms.Label
        Me.grpMenu = New System.Windows.Forms.GroupBox
        Me.SuspendLayout()
        '
        'lblStatus
        '
        Me.lblStatus.BackColor = System.Drawing.SystemColors.Info
        Me.lblStatus.BorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.BorderStyle.Fixed3D
        Me.lblStatus.Font = New System.Drawing.Font("Arial", 8.25!, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold, System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, CType(0, Byte))
        Me.lblStatus.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(169, 79)
        Me.lblStatus.Name = "lblStatus"
        Me.lblStatus.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(233, 18)
        Me.lblStatus.TabIndex = 1
        '
        'grpMenu
        '
        Me.grpMenu.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(12, 136)
        Me.grpMenu.Name = "grpMenu"
        Me.grpMenu.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(556, 87)
        Me.grpMenu.TabIndex = 2
        Me.grpMenu.TabStop = False
        '
        'frmButtons
        '
        Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13)
        Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(585, 312)
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.grpMenu)
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.lblStatus)
        Me.Font = New System.Drawing.Font("Arial", 8.25!, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Regular, System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, CType(0, Byte))
        Me.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.FixedToolWindow
        Me.Name = "frmButtons"
        Me.StartPosition = System.Windows.Forms.FormStartPosition.CenterScreen
        Me.Text = "Buttons"
        Me.ResumeLayout(False)

    End Sub

#End Region

    Private Sub frmButtons_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        With Me
            .Width = 1000
            .Left = 5
        End With
        CreateButtonArray() 'buttons generated on the fly
        SetButtonText() 'adds text to the individual buttons
        SetButtons("1100111111")
    End Sub

#Region "Button Creation, Event Handling, and Positioning Code"
    ' *****************************
    ' ** Create the Button Array **
    ' *****************************
    Private Sub CreateButtonArray()
        Dim iButtonIndex As Integer

        ReDim btnEvents(10)
        For iButtonIndex = 0 To 9
            btnEvents(iButtonIndex) = New System.Windows.Forms.Button
            With btnEvents(iButtonIndex)
                .Text() = iButtonIndex.ToString() & "X"    'Set text caption
                .Size() = New Size(60, 30)     'Set the button size
                .FlatStyle() = FlatStyle.Standard ' = FlatStyle.Popup  'Set the button flat style
                .BackColor() = System.Drawing.Color.Aqua       'Set the background color
                AddHandler .Click, AddressOf Me.btnEvents_Click    'Attach handler reference
            End With
        Next

        ' Add the buttons to the groupBox/Frame
        Me.grpMenu.Controls.AddRange(btnEvents)
        ButtonStackOrder()

    End Sub
    ' *************************
    ' ** Set The Button Text **
    ' *************************
    Private Sub SetButtonText()
        btnEvents(0).Text = "Add"
        btnEvents(1).Text = "Edit"
        btnEvents(2).Text = "Undo" 'Undo Edit
        btnEvents(3).Text = "Save"
        btnEvents(4).Text = "Find" ' 
        btnEvents(5).Text = "Misc1"
        btnEvents(6).Text = "Misc 2"
        btnEvents(7).Text = "Misc 3"
        btnEvents(8).Text = "Misc 4"
        btnEvents(9).Text = "Close"

    End Sub
    ' *************************
    ' ** Line Up the buttons **
    ' *************************
    Private Sub ButtonStackOrder()
        btnEvents(0).Location = New System.Drawing.Point(8, 10) 'Add (btnEvents(1).Top() + (btnEvents(1).Height()) + 4))
        btnEvents(1).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(0).Left() + btnEvents(0).Width()) + 5, 10) 'Edit
        btnEvents(2).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(1).Left() + btnEvents(1).Width()) + 5, 10) ' Undo
        btnEvents(3).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(2).Left() + btnEvents(2).Width()) + 5, 10)
        btnEvents(4).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(3).Left() + btnEvents(3).Width()) + 5, 10)
        btnEvents(5).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(4).Left() + btnEvents(4).Width()) + 5, 10)
        btnEvents(6).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(5).Left() + btnEvents(5).Width()) + 5, 10)
        btnEvents(7).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(6).Left() + btnEvents(6).Width()) + 5, 10)
        btnEvents(8).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(7).Left() + btnEvents(7).Width()) + 5, 10)
        btnEvents(9).Location = New System.Drawing.Point((btnEvents(8).Left() + btnEvents(8).Width()) + 5, 10) 'Close
        ' Set up the groupbox based on size of buttons
        With grpMenu
            .Top = Me.Height - 80
            .Width = btnEvents(0).Width * (10 + 1)
            .Height = btnEvents(0).Height + 15
        End With
    End Sub
    ' ********************************************
    ' ** Button clicked so carry out the event  **
    ' ******************************************** 
    Private Sub btnEvents_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Click
         Dim cString As String = sender.Text()
        'Dim myObject As Object = sender


        Select Case cString
            Case "Add"

                lblStatus.Text = "Add Button Clicked"
                SetButtons("0011000000") 'only leave save and undo enabled
            Case "Edit"
                lblStatus.Text = "Edit Button Clicked"
                SetButtons("0011000000") 'only leave save and undo enabled

            Case "Undo"
                lblStatus.Text = "Undo Button Clicked"
                SetButtons("1100111111")   'back to default buttons enabled
            Case "Save"
                lblStatus.Text = "Save Button Clicked"
                SetButtons("1100111111") 'Afer 'Save then again default buttons enabled 
            Case "Find"
                lblStatus.Text = "Find Button Clicked"
                SetButtons("1100111111") 'Setting dependent on for what programmer uses this button 
            Case "Close"
                lblStatus.Text = "Close Button Clicked"
                Me.Close()
            Case "Misc1"       'Etc. etc.              '
                lblStatus.Text = "Misc_1 Button Clicked"

            Case Else
                SetButtons("1100111111") 'case 
                lblStatus.Text = cString & " Case Else Called"
        End Select
    End Sub
    ' ************************************************************************************** 
    ' Enable/Disable the individual buttons depending on the 1/0 setting in sButtonString **
    ' **************************************************************************************
    Private Sub SetButtons(ByVal sButtonString As String)
        Dim iIndex As Integer, iButtonLength As Integer
        '  sButtonString = "110010000"
        iButtonLength = Len(sButtonString)
        For iIndex = 1 To iButtonLength
            If Mid(sButtonString, iIndex, 1) = "1" Then
                btnEvents(iIndex - 1).Enabled = True
            Else                                      'else this is a 0
                btnEvents(iIndex - 1).Enabled = False
            End If
        Next

    End Sub
#End Region


End Class