ToolStripMenuItems.DropDownItems - Indexer not working

[MadJock]

Hi All,

I'm sure the answer to this is going to be obvious but I've googled it to no avail!!

I want to dynamically build a menu. When doing so, I want to check if an item already exists but struugling!

Simplified Example:

// this adds an item called 'item1' to the 'Tools' menu
toolsToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems.Add(new ToolStripMenuItem("Item1"));

            if (toolsToolStripMenuItem.DropDownItems.ContainsKey("Item1"))
            {
                MessageBox.Show("WORKED");
            }
            else
            {
                MessageBox.Show("NOT WORKED");
            }

Obiously, when I am adding to DropDownItems, I have specified no key, but I cannot see any way to do so!

Any help appreciated,

Graeme



"Just beacuse you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you

 

[PGO01]

You could use the ItemAdded event handler to capture when an item is added and then perform your check.

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    menuStrip1.ItemAdded += new ToolStripItemEventHandler(menuStrip1_ItemAdded);
    menuStrip1.Items.Add("Test");
    menuStrip1.Items.Add("Test");
}

void menuStrip1_ItemAdded(object sender, ToolStripItemEventArgs e)
{
    if (menuStrip1.Items.Contains(e.Item))
    {
        MessageBox.Show("The item already exists!");
    }
}

 

[MadJock]

Hi PG001,

Thanks for reply. Unfortunately I over-simplified my issues - I have other reasons for wishing to refer to the item by index after it's been added.

Do you know of any way to specify the index when I add the item? If not, I guess I could create a seperate map of name to numbered index.

Thanks,

Graeme

"Just beacuse you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you

 

[PGO01]

I think the problem in your original code is that your item doesn't have a name.

new ToolStripMenuItem("Item1")

Here, "Item1" is the Text property not the Name property.

For example, this works:

ToolStripMenuItem file = new ToolStripMenuItem("File");
file.Name = "FileMenuItem";
myMenu.Items.Add(file);

if (myMenu.Items["FileMenuItem"] != null)
{
    MessageBox.Show("'File' Exists!");
}
else
{
    MessageBox.Show("'File' Does Not Exist!");
}