How to change "Enabled" Value of form2 when clicking in form1?

[Fuzz13]

I have my main form, form1, and my secondary form, form2. When form2 is first launched it has two values that are disabled, however at a later time I want users to be able to enable those values and use them but I can't figure out how to either send a value to the form2 for a test or access the features of form2 in form1.cs (which seems preferable.)

I was thinking something like this:
[code]
public void StartForm2(int passwordType)
{


gbxForm.Enabled = false;//this is meant to be disabled

PasswordForm form2 = new PasswordForm(cb oxName.Text);//passes the users name to the new form

//shows form2
form2.Show();
}

private void lnklblChangePas sword_LinkClick ed(object sender, LinkLabelLinkCl ickedEventArgs e)
{

//ideal, but obviously doesn't work
form2.txtbxOldP assword.Enabled = true;

form2.show();
}

I know the above code doesn't work but it should give an idea of what I'm trying to achieve.

[bentleyw]

One way would be to overload the constructor to accept your first form as a parameter. Then you could access all of its properties and methods.

Another way would be to create a static class with references to your forms. Then you could get at them through that.

[Fuzz13]

I am having a difficult time trying to understand how to overload the constructor so I can access form 1 within form2.cs

Could you possibly give an example so I have an idea where I'm going with it?

[bentleyw]

Sure, no problem. Here would be the basic PasswordForm class definition:

    public partial class PasswordForm : Form
    {
        StartForm2 otherFormReference = null;

        public PasswordForm()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        public PasswordForm(string username, StartForm2 otherForm)
        {
            otherFormReference = otherForm;
        }
    }

The first PasswordForm() constructor is the default, and the second is an overload taking your other form as a parameter. Then you set that to a local variable so that you can access the other form's properties and methods.

[Fuzz13]

So PasswordForm is in this situation my Form2, so when I click a button in Form1 it needs to Form2.Show(), but also within Form2 it needs to set

lblOldPassword.Enabled = true;

I am not understanding how this overloading the constructor is allowing me to do that especially where the code is used within the PasswordForm (my Form2). Wouldn't I need to instantiate an object of Form2 in order to access the values of it?

[Fuzz13]

Ok I got it all figured out. Here is what I did, very much thanks to you bentley as I just used your suggestion but did it a little different then the example.

I use the same Form (passwordForm) for 2 different events (setting initial password, and changing password). When it is called to set the initial password i use this code in form1

 public void StartForm2()//has value passed depending on which method calls this method
        {
            

            gbxForm.Enabled = false;
            //this is a one time set the password event
            //this saves the name chosen in a field we can use it again

            //passes the name chosen to form 2

            //creates form 2 as an object so it ca be passed too
            form2 = new PasswordForm(cboxName.Text);

            //shows form2
            form2.Show();
        }

this triggers this constructor in form2 (passwordForm)

public PasswordForm(string username)
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            lblUserName.Text = username;
        }

Then when the user wants to change their password, they click accordingly in form1 and this code is used

 public void lnklblChangePassword_LinkClicked(object sender, LinkLabelLinkClickedEventArgs e)
        {
            const int ENABLE_PASSWORD_CHANGE = 1;//variable to select propper constructor
            form2 = new PasswordForm(cboxName.Text, ENABLE_PASSWORD_CHANGE);
            form2.Show();
            
        }

And because it now sends a user name and the constant it triggers this constructor

  public PasswordForm(string username,int enable)
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            lblUserName.Text = username;
            lblOldPassword.Enabled = true;
            txtbxOldPassword.Enabled = true;
        }

This allowed me to choose how the form loads. Thank you so much for your help with this. I hope this can help someone else in the future.

[bentleyw]

Oh, I see. Sorry about that, I misunderstood what you were trying to do. I thought you wanted to access a method from the other form and needed a reference to it. I'm glad you were able to solve it anyway.