In
Visual Basic Visual Basic is a name for a family of programming languages from Microsoft. It may refer to:
* Visual Basic .NET (now simply referred to as "Visual Basic"), the current version of Visual Basic launched in 2002 which runs on .NET
* Visual Basic (cl ...
, a control array
is a group of related
controls in a Visual Basic
form
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form also refers to:
*Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data
...
that share the same
event handlers
In programming and software design, an event is an action or occurrence recognized by software, often originating asynchronously from the external environment, that may be handled by the software. Computer events can be generated or triggered ...
. Control arrays are always single-dimensional
arrays
An array is a systematic arrangement of similar objects, usually in rows and columns.
Things called an array include:
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Music
* In twelve-tone and serial composition, the presentation of simultaneous twelve-tone sets such that the ...
, and controls can be added or deleted from control arrays at runtime. One application of control arrays is to hold menu items, as the shared event handler can be used for code common to all of the menu items in the control array.
Control arrays are a convenient way to handle groups of controls that perform a similar function. All of the events available to the single control are still available to the array of controls, the only difference being an argument indicating the index of the selected array element is passed to the event. Hence, instead of writing individual procedures for each control (i.e. not using control arrays), you only have to write one procedure for each array.
Control arrays are no longer supported in Visual Basic 2006, as "changes to the event model" made them unnecessary.
The Visual Basic Upgrade Wizard can convert code that uses control arrays into Visual Basic 2008 code that uses more recent structures.
References
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BASIC programming language family