showing a form

[traxxas]

i posted this a couple of days ago and it didnt get much reponses, so how do i go about showing a secdond form in my project, its called form2.h, im using visual C++ .NET 2003 and its a windows program NOT a console program

also what exactly is an instance i heard it around alot but never knew what it was

thanks for your help guys

 

[Bones3]

I'm not sure how to make a second form, but have you considered just using a dialog instead of an entirly new form? I guess it depends on what you want to do; I'm just making sure you know about the simple way of doing it.

-Bones

 

[traxxas]

no i want this form to have alot of stuff on it like textbox's, images and the works, and i dont need to MAKE a new form i just need to know how to make it show up when i clikc the button on the main form

 

[Cagliostro]

MyForm1* frm = new MyForm1();
frm->Show();

Ion Filipski

 

[traxxas]

compile error

error C2065: 'Form2' : undeclared identifier
error C2065: 'frm' : undeclared identifier
error C2061: syntax error : identifier 'Form2'
error C2227: left of '->Show' must point to class/struct/union

heres the code i put in:
Form2* frm = new Form2();
frm->Show();

the name of the form file is form2(lowercase f), the accessible name is Form2(capital F)

im using Visual C++ .net 2003

all help appreciated, thanks

 

[obislavu]

The file names are not case sensitive and the name of the form has nothing to do with the name of the form.
A .cs file could contains many forms defined and more that one classes but it is not recomended.
I think you have problem with the namespace.
I give you here an example like a "pattern" that you could use. Here is an example of a mainform (MainForm.cs file) and a LogonForm (LogonForm.cs) which is called from the main form when a menu item is clicked.
Take a look to:
-what to using ... in each file,
-how is declared the namespece in each file
-how the main form "knows" the second form . Note that is a way for the second form to knows the main form but is not shown in this code.
-how the MainForm class is instantiated in the Main() function .e.g. create an instance (object) of the MainForm class but not assigned to any variable.
-how the LogonForm is INSTANTIATED in the constructor of the main form e.g. create an object of a given type in this case of the LogonForm and store it in the member variable of the main form.
-how the LogonForm is shown using two ways: ShowDialog(), Show()

// MainForm.cs

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace YourNameSpace

         /// <summary>
	/// Summary description for MDI.
	/// </summary>
public class MainForm : System.Windows.Forms.Form
{

	// other members
	private LogonForm m_LogonForm;
	private System.Windows.Forms.MenuItem m_MnuConnect; //menu connect
        public MainForm()
	{
		InitializeComponent();
		m_LogonForm= new LogonForm();

	}
        private void InitializeComponent()
        {
           // initialization code
        }
        private void m_MnuConnect_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
	{
		//...
		this.m_LogonForm.ShowDialog(); // as modal 
                // or 
                // this.m_LogonForm.Show();
        }

	static void Main() 
       {
         Application.Run(new MainForm());
       }


} 

// LogonForm.cs

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Forms;


namespace YourNameSpace
{
	/// <summary>
	/// Summary description for LogonForm.
	/// </summary>
	public class LogonForm : System.Windows.Forms.Form
	{
		private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox m_TxtPassword;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Label m_LblPassword;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Label m_LblUserID;
        }
       //...
}

static void Main() 
{
Application.Run(new MainForm());
}
-obislavu-

 

[obislavu]

Hi,
Please ignore my previous reply ! I was thinking you are using C#.NET !
The answer of Ion is correct but I think the errors you get are generated by the way you include the .h files.
Do you use precompiled headers ?
-obislavu-

 

[traxxas]

what do you mean by pre compiled header files, they are generated when i use the wizard that adds a window form, its called form2.h, do i have to put a #include in? or somthin, im really havin a hard time with this

 

[Cagliostro]

you should #include"form2.h" in the file you use the form2.

Ion Filipski

 

[traxxas]

that works great, i also figured out how to hide the form, but what if i dont want to create a new form every time, what if i want to keep bringing up the existing one with all its user input (text in textboxes, etc...) how would i do that?

 

[Cagliostro]

keep the pointer as a variable member of the first class (ie form). After that you could use it as many times as yiou whish.

Ion Filipski

 

[traxxas]

what exactly is a variable member, im alittle new to C++, migrated over from VB could i get a sample code?, thanks alot!

 

[Cagliostro]

find this piece of code:
Form2* frm = new Form2();

put "Form2* frm" somewhere inside the class declaration ant change the line above to:

frm = new Form2();

you chould put this piece of variable initialization, for example, somewhere in the constructor. After that show or hide the form as many times as you whish.

Ion Filipski

 

[traxxas]

what and were exactly is the constructor and the class declaration so i can find it and implement this code, again thanks for your help

is the class declaration this?:

private: System::Void button11_Click(System::Object * sender, System::EventArgs * e)
{
//code goes here
}

and i have no idea what the constructor is

 

[Cagliostro]

In my opinion you have a little to study C++ before asking such questions.

Ion Filipski