Instantiate Form from string variable

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Hi everybody, hope someone might help me with my problem.

How can i instantiate a Form from string variable using C#?

my scenarios are:

1. My application will populate its menu from a database
2. In that database, the menu has its reference to the form name
eg:
MenuDesc MenuObject // This refers to the column name
a. Data Entry - frmDataEntry // refers to the row data
b. Process Entry - frmProcessEntry

3. When I select/click Data Entry the system will Instantiate frmDataEntry. The process goes the same when i choose Process Entry.

Is this possible? Hope somebody out there might help me. I'm using C#

Posted 12-Jul-10 20:55pm

Romelfabia

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J a a n s · Answer 1 · 2010-07-12T21:27:00

Solution 1

You can do the same with Activator.CreateInstance[^] method. Please read about Factory Method Pattern before implementing this.

Posted 12-Jul-10 21:27pm

J a a n s

shreyasn · Answer 2 · 2010-07-12T21:47:00

You could store the full name of the form , (ex: foo.bar.frmDataEntry) , and use reflection to load the form object.

Let me know if you need more details

[EDIT] Did a google search and came up with what you want here

http://www.debugging.com/bug/8503[^]

what you need is

Method 3
	
'frmContractEdit needs to have Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form in its Class definition (designer)
	Dim Form3Type As Type = Type.GetType("Fusion.frmContractEdit", True, True)
	MsgBox(Form3Type.AssemblyQualifiedName)
	Dim Form3 As Form = CType(Activator.CreateInstance(Form3Type), Form)
	Form3.Show()
'Method 4
	Dim Form4 As Form = CType(Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetType("Fusion.frmContractEdit", True, True)), Form)
	Form4.Show()	
'Method 5
'Pass parameters using overload Activator.CreateInstance Object Paramater Array
'frmLegalServicesEdit(ByVal DD_TablesID As String, ByVal dgdBrow As DataGridView)
	Dim FType As Type = Type.GetType ("Fusion.frmLegalServicesEdit", True, True)
	Dim Args() As Object = {Me.DD_TablesID, Me.dgdBrow}
	Dim Form5 As Form = CType(Activator.CreateInstance(FType, Args), Form)
	Form5.Show()

I know its in VB .. but it should be straight forward to convert to C#

Romelfabia · Answer 3 · 2010-07-14T19:45:00

Hi again.

This works when the form that you're calling/instantiating is within the same project. I'm having an error when i'm referencing to other project withing the same solution, that generates DLL when compiled.

my code:

// IBS_SysAd - a project that output to a DLL.
string sExec = "IBS_SysAd.frmMenu";

Type Form3Type = Type.GetType(sExec, true, true); // This is the point i'm encountering error. TypeLoadException, Could not load type 'IBS_SysAd.frmMenu' from assembly 'IBS, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.

Form Form3 = (Form)Activator.CreateInstanceForm3Type);
Form3.Show();

tnx.

Ramin Tarhande · Answer 4 · 2010-07-15T18:10:00

Solution 5

If it's in another assembly format the string this way: "TheNameSpace.TheType,OtherAssemblyName" & remember to put it in the same directory ;)

Posted 15-Jul-10 18:10pm

Ramin Tarhande

Updated 16-Jul-10 21:35pm

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Instantiate Form from string variable

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