Convert Control.Name to Control

[ricardosms]

Hello:
I have a custom control with a Combobox that at form1_Load gets filled with the names of the controls with visual interface. From this ComboBox the user selects a control name and that control, if is docked, gets undocked and is moved in increments depending on where you click on a PictureBox, changing the control's ".Top" and ".Left" properties.
Here is my question:
How do I convert the string

ComboBox1.SelectedItem & ".Top"

to a reference of the control whose name is contained in SelectedItem?

Let's say that the user selects on the ComboBox the 4th item: IconPicture that is a PictureBox;
How do I refer to IconPicture.Top or IconPicture.Lef t?
How do I convert the string to a command to the PictureBox to move?

This didn't work:

         Dim Cntrl As Control = Me.Controls(ComboBox1.Text)
         Cntrl.BringToFront()
         Me.BringToFront()
         If Cntrl IsNot Nothing Then Cntrl.Dock = DockStyle.None

I have solved the situation with a workaround cycling through the controls on the form:

    Private Sub ComboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ComboBox1.SelectedIndexChanged
        For Each ctl As Control In ParentForm.Controls
            If ctl.Name = ComboBox1.SelectedItem Then
                Cntrl = ctl
                Cntrl.Dock = DockStyle.None
                Cntrl.BringToFront()
                Me.BringToFront()
                Exit Sub
            End If
        Next

    End Sub

But, is there a way of doing it directly?

My control has a PictureBox with an Image, a ComboBox and a Timer.

Here Is the Complete code:

Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Windows.Forms.Control

Public Class NvGator
    Private TheX, TheY As New Integer
    Private Cntrl As Control
    Public DX, DY As Integer

    Private Sub NvGator_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        TheX = PictureBox1.Image.Width / 2
        TheY = PictureBox1.Image.Height / 2
        Me.BringToFront()
        Cntrl = Me
        ComboBox1.Items.Clear()

        For Each ctl As Control In ParentForm.Controls
            ComboBox1.Items.Add(ctl.Name)
        Next

    End Sub

    Private Sub ComboBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles ComboBox1.SelectedIndexChanged
        For Each ctl As Control In ParentForm.Controls
            If ctl.Name = ComboBox1.SelectedItem Then
                Cntrl = ctl
                Cntrl.Dock = DockStyle.None
                Cntrl.BringToFront()
                Me.BringToFront()
                Exit Sub
            End If
        Next

        ' Dim Cntrl As Control = Me.Controls(ComboBox1.Text)
        'Cntrl.BringToFront()
        'Me.BringToFront()
        '  If Cntrl IsNot Nothing Then Cntrl.Dock = DockStyle.None

    End Sub


    Private Sub PictureBox1_MouseDown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles PictureBox1.MouseDown
        Cntrl.Top = Cntrl.Top + (e.Y - TheY) / 2
        Cntrl.Left = Cntrl.Left + (e.X - TheX) / 2
        DX = e.X
        DY = e.Y
        Timer1.Enabled = True
    End Sub
    Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
        Cntrl.Top = Cntrl.Top + (DY - TheY) / 2
        Cntrl.Left = Cntrl.Left + (DX - TheX) / 2

    End Sub

    Private Sub PictureBox1_MouseUp(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles PictureBox1.MouseUp
        Timer1.Enabled = False
    End Sub
End Class

Thank you in advance for any tip or guidance.
ricardosms

[tlhintoq]

You do a .Find in the custom control's .Controls collection, to locate the specific control selected in the Combo box.
Then you change it's .Location property.

In C# it would go something like this...

string ControlName = myComboBox.SelectedItem as text;
Control FoundControl = myCustomControl.Controls.Find(ControlName);//Now I have a handle to the requested control
if (FoundControl != null)
{// Never just assume you *actually* found something
   // Move it down 10 pixels, one at a time
   For (int Counter = 0; Counter<10; Counter++)
   {
       FoundControl.Location = New Point(FoundControl.Location.X,  FoundControl.Location.Y++)
   }

   // Move it right 10 pixels, one at a time
   For (int Counter = 0; Counter<10; Counter++)
   {
       FoundControl.Location = New Point(FoundControl.Location.X++, FoundControl.Location.Y)
   }
}

[ricardosms]

Hi, tlhintoq:

Thank you for your reply, I translated it to VB like this:

        Dim FoundControl() As Control
        Dim ControlName As String
        ControlName = ComboBox1.SelectedItem
        FoundControl = Me.Controls.Find(ComboBox1.SelectedItem, False)
        'Now I have a handle to the requested control 
        If (Not (FoundControl(0)) Is Nothing) Then
            ' Never just assume you *actually* found something 
            ' Move it down 10 pixels, one at a time 
            For Counter = 0 To 10
                FoundControl(0).Top = FoundControl(0).Top + 1
                ' Move it right 10 pixels, one at a time
            Next
            For counter = 0 To 10
                FoundControl(0).Left = FoundControl(0).Left + 1
            Next
        End If

And due to the situation that the answer is an array I used the first element; there is only one control with that full name, so has to be the first one.
It works similarly than my loop. I guess there is not that better way that I was hoping to find. I don't see why is there a need to do a search or a loop if I already have the name of the control and there is only one control with that name.
Isn't there a way to get a handle to the control just by the name?
Thank you.