Resolved Trying to add existing button to a flowlayout panel with arraylist

[Badger101]

I'm trying to add a button on a flowlayout panel using arraylists.
My array list name is media
Media.Add(flowlayout1.Control.Add(mainbutton) this doesn't work but if I write media.Add(mainbutton) that works but it doesn't place it in the flowlayout panel I'm coding this inside the form1_load method

 

[jmcilhinney]

There's a lot to address there. Firstly, please don't post unformatted code because it is too hard to read. The editor toolbar provides buttons for formatting large blocks of code an inline snippets so there's no reason not to use them.

Secondly, the unformatted code you did post is incomplete. Please make the effort and take the time to post all and only the relevant code. What you posted has two opening parentheses and only one closing, so it's obviously not all the relevant code. We can probably work out what's missing but the point is that we shouldn't have to guess or make assumptions that could be wrong.

As for the code, you should not be using an ArrayList for anything anyway. They have been obsolete since 2005. If you want to create a dynamic array structure, use a List<T>. In this particular case, I have no idea what any type of list would actually be for. If you want to add a Button to a FlowLayoutPanel then do so.

flowlayout1.Controls.Add(mainbutton);

That's all you need. What's the ArrayList supposed to be achieving? That's where a FULL and CLEAR explanation of the problem comes in, which includes what you're trying to achieve, how you're trying to achieve it and what happens when you try.

 

[Badger101]

I'm sorry I will add more details next time ,I am making a video browser using buttons as the video icons and there's over 200 buttons so I as trying to put all my existing buttons in a arraylists and add them to the flowlayout panel on my form

 

[jmcilhinney]

Are you creating these Buttons in code or in the designer? If it's in the designer - it sounds like it is because you say "existing" buttons - then why aren't you adding them to the FlowLayoutPanel in the designer in the first place?

If you are creating them in code and you want to add them all to the FlowLayoutPanel in one go then you need to call AddRange and, for that, you need an array. If you know how many controls you need then create an array of that size, populate it and then add the lot, e.g.

var buttons = new Button[buttonCount];

for (var i = 0; i < buttonCount; i++)
{
    var btn = new Button();
    
    // Configure btn here.

    buttons[i] = btn;
}

flowLayoutPanel1.Controls.AddRange(buttons);

If you don't know how many there will be ahead of time then us a List<Button> and convert that to an array when you're done, e.g.

var buttons = new List<Button>();

while (condition)
{
    var btn = new Button();
    
    // Configure btn here.

    buttons.Add(btn);
}

flowLayoutPanel1.Controls.AddRange(buttons.ToArray());

 

[Badger101]

Are you creating these Buttons in code or in the designer? If it's in the designer - it sounds like it is because you say "existing" buttons - then why aren't you adding them to the FlowLayoutPanel in the designer in the first place?

If you are creating them in code and you want to add them all to the FlowLayoutPanel in one go then you need to call AddRange and, for that, you need an array. If you know how many controls you need then create an array of that size, populate it and then add the lot, e.g.

var buttons = new Button[buttonCount];

for (var i = 0; i < buttonCount; i++)
{
    var btn = new Button();
   
    // Configure btn here.

    buttons[i] = btn;
}

flowLayoutPanel1.Controls.AddRange(buttons);

If you don't know how many there will be ahead of time then us a List<Button> and convert that to an array when you're done, e.g.

var buttons = new List<Button>();

while (condition)
{
    var btn = new Button();
   
    // Configure btn here.

    buttons.Add(btn);
}

flowLayoutPanel1.Controls.AddRange(buttons.ToArray());

That's exactly what I was asking for just needed a way to put buttons in a list form

 

[Badger101]

Thank you

 

[jmcilhinney]

For future reference, a full and clear explanation of the problem might go something like this:

I am creating a known/unknown number of Buttons in the Load event handler of my form and I would like to add all those Buttons to a FlowLayoutPanel. I currently have the following code:

Provide code here.

When I use this code, the following error/behaviour occurs at compile/run time:

Provide error message or unexpected behaviour and location in code here.

You need to explain what you are trying to achieve AND how you're trying to achieve it (not just the latter), and what happens when you try.

 

[Badger101]

For future reference, a full and clear explanation of the problem might go something like this:

You need to explain what you are trying to achieve AND how you're trying to achieve it (not just the latter), and what happens when you try.

Ok thank you