Getting my string value from my form into my class( not another form)

Question

Hello all, I have a question regarding the some data which is being transfered from one form to my class. It's not going quite the way i'd like to , so I figured maybe there is someone who could help me.

This is my code in my class

Public Class DrawableTextBox
  Inherits Drawable
  Dim i_testString As Integer

Private s_InsertLabel As String

Private drawFont As Font


Public Sub New(ByVal fore_color As Color, ByVal fill_color As Color, Optional ByVal line_width As Integer = 0, Optional ByVal new_x1 As Integer = 0, Optional ByVal new_y1 As Integer = 0, Optional ByVal new_x2 As Integer = 1, Optional ByVal new_y2 As Integer = 1)
    MyBase.New(fore_color, fill_color, line_width)

    X1 = new_x1
    Y1 = new_y1
    X2 = new_x2
    Y2 = new_y2


    Trace.WriteLine(s_InsertLabel)


End Sub


Friend WriteOnly Property _textBox() As String

    Set(ByVal Value As String)

        s_InsertLabel = Value
        Trace.WriteLine(s_InsertLabel)

    End Set

End Property



' Draw the object on this Graphics surface.
Public Overrides Sub Draw(ByVal gr As System.Drawing.Graphics)


    ' Make a Rectangle representing this rectangle.
    Dim rect As Rectangle = GetBounds()

    ' Fill the rectangle as usual.
    Dim fill_brush As New SolidBrush(FillColor)
    gr.FillRectangle(fill_brush, rect)
    fill_brush.Dispose()

    ' See if we're selected.
    If IsSelected Then


        ' Draw the rectangle highlighted.
        Dim highlight_pen As New Pen(Color.Yellow, LineWidth)
        gr.DrawRectangle(highlight_pen, rect)
        highlight_pen.Dispose()


        ' Draw grab handles.
        Trace.WriteLine("drawing the lines for my textbox")
        DrawGrabHandle(gr, X1, Y1)
        DrawGrabHandle(gr, X1, Y2)
        DrawGrabHandle(gr, X2, Y2)
        DrawGrabHandle(gr, X2, Y1)

    Else


        'TextBox()
        Dim fg_pen As New Pen(Color.Red, LineWidth)
        'Dim fontSize As Single = 0.1 + ((Y2 - Y1) / 2)
        Dim fontSize As Single = 20

        Try



            Dim drawFont As New Font("Arial", fontSize, FontStyle.Bold)
            Trace.WriteLine(s_InsertLabel)
            gr.DrawString(s_InsertLabel, drawFont, Brushes.Brown, X1, Y1)
        Catch ex As ArgumentException



        End Try
        gr.DrawRectangle(Pens.Azure, rect)
        ' gr.DrawRectangle(fg_pen, rect)
        fg_pen.Dispose()


    End If

End Sub


Public Function GetValueString(ByVal ValueType As String)
    Return ValueType
End Function

' Return the object's bounding rectangle.
Public Overrides Function GetBounds() As System.Drawing.Rectangle
    Return New Rectangle( _
        Min(X1, X2), _
        Min(Y1, Y2), _
        Abs(100), _
        Abs(30))
    Trace.WriteLine("don't forget to make variables in GetBounds DrawableTextbox")
End Function


' Return True if this point is on the object.
Public Overrides Function IsAt(ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer) As Boolean
    Return (x >= Min(X1, X2)) AndAlso _
           (x <= Max(X1, X2)) AndAlso _
           (y >= Min(Y1, Y2)) AndAlso _
           (y <= Max(Y1, Y2))
End Function

' Move the second point.
Public Overrides Sub NewPoint(ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer)
    X2 = x
    Y2 = y
End Sub

' Return True if the object is empty (e.g. a zero-length line).
Public Overrides Function IsEmpty() As Boolean
    Return (X1 = X2) AndAlso (Y1 = Y2)
End Function


End Class

I've got a form with a textbox( form1) in which the text is being inserted and passed through a buttonclick (al via properties).

As you can see I've placed several traces and in the property of the class my trace works fine , however if I look in my Draw function it is already gone.

And I get a blank trace. Does anyone know what's happening here. thanks in advance.

(forgive me I'm new )

Answer 1

If I understand correctly you're saying that you're setting s_InsertLabel to a value and you can see it being set in the trace but when the Draw method is called s_InsertLabel is empty?

Since you're only tracing the value of s_InsertLabel it's difficult to tell what's happening in your trace output. I'd suggest including the location or similar as well, so for example:
Trace.WriteLine("Constructor: " & s_InsertLabel)

That way you could tell if the property is set more than once or if the constructor is called multiple times (maybe you set s_InsertLabel in one control but draw another of the same type).

Answer 2

I figured out a way of getting what I want.

I created a new Form in my new method( constructor) of the class and use Dialogresult to get the correct string from my textbox. Like so

  Dim frm As New Form1
        frm.ShowDialog()
        If frm.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK Then
            s_InsertLabel = frm.TextBox2.Text
        End If

Thanks both for your quick respons much appreciated.

For now I am ok but I'm sure in the future I will be asking more questions