Specify code across forms, inheritance?

[12padams]

Hey there, I'm working on a game set in a simulated computer environment. I've made a template forum which I use to copy and paste the code from to every single form. Here's a small bit of the code I use within the game that is copied to all the windows:

 Public Sub setuptitlebar()

        titlebar.Height = ShiftOSDesktop.titlebarheight
        Me.Size = New Size(366, 167) 'put the default size of your window here
        Me.Size = New Size(Me.Width, Me.Height + ShiftOSDesktop.titlebarheight - 30)

        pgleft.Width = ShiftOSDesktop.windowbordersize
        pgright.Width = ShiftOSDesktop.windowbordersize
        pgbottom.Height = ShiftOSDesktop.windowbordersize
        Me.Size = New Size(Me.Width + ShiftOSDesktop.windowbordersize + ShiftOSDesktop.windowbordersize, Me.Height + ShiftOSDesktop.windowbordersize)

        If ShiftOSDesktop.showwindowcorners = True Then
            pgtoplcorner.Show()
            pgtoprcorner.Show()
        Else
            pgtoplcorner.Hide()
            pgtoprcorner.Hide()
        End If

        If ShiftOSDesktop.boughttitlebar = False Then
            titlebar.Hide()
            Me.Size = New Size(Me.Width, Me.Size.Height - titlebar.Height)
        End If

        If ShiftOSDesktop.boughttitletext = False Then
            lbtitletext.Hide()
        Else
            lbtitletext.Font = New Font(ShiftOSDesktop.titletextfont, ShiftOSDesktop.titletextsize, ShiftOSDesktop.titletextstyle)
            lbtitletext.Show()
        End If

        If ShiftOSDesktop.boughtclosebutton = False Then
            closebutton.Hide()
        Else
            closebutton.BackColor = ShiftOSDesktop.closebuttoncolour
            closebutton.Height = ShiftOSDesktop.closebuttonheight
            closebutton.Width = ShiftOSDesktop.closebuttonwidth
            closebutton.Show()
        End If

        If ShiftOSDesktop.boughtrollupbutton = False Then
            rollupbutton.Hide()
        Else
            rollupbutton.BackColor = ShiftOSDesktop.rollupbuttoncolour
            rollupbutton.Height = ShiftOSDesktop.rollupbuttonheight
            rollupbutton.Width = ShiftOSDesktop.rollupbuttonwidth
            rollupbutton.Show()
        End If

        If ShiftOSDesktop.boughtwindowborders = True Then
            closebutton.Location = New Point(titlebar.Size.Width - ShiftOSDesktop.closebuttonside - closebutton.Size.Width, ShiftOSDesktop.closebuttontop)
            rollupbutton.Location = New Point(titlebar.Size.Width - ShiftOSDesktop.rollupbuttonside - rollupbutton.Size.Width, ShiftOSDesktop.rollupbuttontop)
            Select Case ShiftOSDesktop.titletextposition
                Case "Left"
                    lbtitletext.Location = New Point(ShiftOSDesktop.titletextside, ShiftOSDesktop.titletexttop)
                Case "Centre"
                    lbtitletext.Location = New Point((titlebar.Width / 2) - lbtitletext.Width / 2, ShiftOSDesktop.titletexttop)
            End Select
            lbtitletext.ForeColor = ShiftOSDesktop.titletextcolour
        Else
            closebutton.Location = New Point(titlebar.Size.Width - ShiftOSDesktop.closebuttonside - pgtoplcorner.Width - pgtoprcorner.Width - closebutton.Size.Width, ShiftOSDesktop.closebuttontop)
            rollupbutton.Location = New Point(titlebar.Size.Width - ShiftOSDesktop.rollupbuttonside - pgtoplcorner.Width - pgtoprcorner.Width - rollupbutton.Size.Width, ShiftOSDesktop.rollupbuttontop)
            Select Case ShiftOSDesktop.titletextposition
                Case "Left"
                    lbtitletext.Location = New Point(ShiftOSDesktop.titletextside + pgtoplcorner.Width, ShiftOSDesktop.titletexttop)
                Case "Centre"
                    lbtitletext.Location = New Point((titlebar.Width / 2) - lbtitletext.Width / 2, ShiftOSDesktop.titletexttop)
            End Select
            lbtitletext.ForeColor = ShiftOSDesktop.titletextcolour
        End If

        If ShiftOSDesktop.boughtclockicon = True Then
            pnlicon.Visible = True
            pnlicon.Location = New Point(ShiftOSDesktop.titlebariconside, ShiftOSDesktop.titlebaricontop)
        End If

    End Sub

Is there a way I can simply say "Inherit setuptitlebar" in each window or something so I don't have to copy over all the code to each window? I often update the code and copying it across to 20 windows again and again (soon to be more) drives me mad.

So what's the simplest way to do this knowing that the controls on each window have the exact same names?

P.S The graphical environment is highly customizable so don't freak out or tell me that I'm over-complicating the code... trust me, I'm not!

 

[jmcilhinney]

You have two options in such cases:

1. Put the functionality into a base class and then derive every other class from that common base.
2. Put the functionality into a helper class or module and then have every class invoke it from there.

If you choose the second option then each form would have to pass a reference to itself, i.e. Me, into the method and the method would then use that argument to refer to the form being processed.