I'm trying to create a generic event handler

[JA12]

I've got a form with multiple controls, including buttons.

The form is dynamically generated so all the active controls have generated unique names.

I'm trying to generate a generic MouseClick handler that captures all button clicks, no matter what button is clicked. My major problem is that the "Handles Me.MouseClick" never activates, the only Event that seems to capture any Event at all is "Handles Me.MouseEnter" which only has "System.EventArgs" rather than the more useful "System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs". The "sender" for the MouseEnter Event is not the button that was clicked, it's the form itself, so it's useless.

Private Sub CheckEvent(sender As System.Object,
                           e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.MouseEnter
        Dim btn As String()
        Dim sName As String
        Dim sType As String = sender.GetType.ToString

        Select Case sender.GetType.ToString
            Case "System.Windows.Forms.Button"
                btn = Split(sender.name, "_", -1, CompareMethod.Text)
                sName = btn(0)
                ProcessClick(sender)
                Stop
            Case "System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel"
                Stop
            Case Else
                ' ignore everything else
                Stop                                          '<---- always ends up here
        End Select
    End Sub

These never activate

Private Sub <form>_MouseClick(sender As Object, e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Me.MouseClick
Private Sub <form>_MouseDown(sender As Object, e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Me.MouseClick
Private Sub <form>_MouseUp(sender As Object, e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Me.MouseClick

This always activates

Private Sub <form>_MouseEnter(sender As Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.MouseEnter
       Stop
End Sub

All the examples online deal with a common handler for KNOWN controls, not for unknown controls.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[jmcilhinney]

If you want to handle events of arbitrary objects then don't use Handles clauses. Write the event handler without the Handles clause and then use the AddHandler statement to attach it to the events you want to handle, e.g.

Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
    For Each btn In Me.Controls.OfType(Of Button)()
        AddHandler btn.MouseClick, AddressOf Button_MouseClick
    Next
End Sub

Private Sub Button_MouseClick(sender As Object, e As MouseEventArgs)
    '...
End Sub

 

[JA12]

Genius. Thanks, that worked with a bit of massaging in getting to the embedded controls.