adding objects from a windows form into a c# list

Question

I have a lot of windows form components that i need to add to an array. Currently i just have a large amount of adds to a list and this is definitely bad practice.

        panelList.Add(panel1);
        panelList.Add(panel2);
        panelList.Add(panel3);
        panelList.Add(panel4);
        panelList.Add(panel5);
        panelList.Add(panel6);
        panelList.Add(panel7);
        panelList.Add(panel8);
        panelList.Add(panel9);
        panelList.Add(panel10);
        panelList.Add(panel11);
        panelList.Add(panel12);
        panelList.Add(panel13);
        panelList.Add(panel14);
        panelList.Add(panel15);
        panelList.Add(panel16);
        panelList.Add(panel17);
        panelList.Add(panel18);
        panelList.Add(panel19);
        panelList.Add(panel20);
        panelList.Add(panel21);
        panelList.Add(panel22);
        panelList.Add(panel23);
        panelList.Add(panel24);
        panelList.Add(panel25);

        labelList.Add(label1);
        labelList.Add(label2);
        labelList.Add(label3);
        labelList.Add(label4);
        labelList.Add(label5);      
        labelList.Add(label6);
        
        labelList.Add(label7);
        labelList.Add(label8);
        labelList.Add(label9);
        labelList.Add(label10);
        labelList.Add(label11);
        labelList.Add(label12);
        labelList.Add(label13);
        labelList.Add(label14);
        labelList.Add(label15);
        labelList.Add(label16);
        labelList.Add(label17);
        labelList.Add(label18);
        labelList.Add(label19);
        labelList.Add(label20);
        labelList.Add(label21);
        labelList.Add(label22);
        labelList.Add(label23);
        labelList.Add(label24);
        labelList.Add(label26);

is there a way in c# to add these elements in a for loop etc. Thanks.

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 01 '22 at 09:39

You can put all of the labels, panels, etc. in their own encapsulating panel. This will make them children of the panel, and you can iterate over them easily:

foreach (Control ctrl in panelContainer.Controls) // panelContainer is a Panel
{
    labelList.Add((Label) ctrl);
}

I strongly recommend not to do that. It's kind of messy in the designer (if you're using that), adds more uncecessary controls to worry about, and if you accidentally add something that isn't a label, your app will crash.

A simpler way to do it is by using the method from this answer on a similar question. You can apply it as such:

panelList.AddRange(this.FindChildControlsOfType<Panel>());
labelList.AddRange(this.FindChildControlsOfType<Label>());

If you insist on iterating, that's obviously doable as well:

foreach (Label label in this.FindChildControlsOfType<Label>())
{
    labelList.Add(label);
}

ok thank you, just wondering with the .AddRange function does it add them in order of label1, label2, label3, label4 etc. or just randomly. I need the labels and panels in that specific order. Thanks. — Haxor, Apr 01 '22 at 09:41
It's going to add them in the same way that the code below `AddRange` (the foreach loop) will, i.e., the way they're ordered in WinForms internally. If you need them in a specific order, you can write a sorter to sort the list after you've added your items. Refer to https://stackoverflow.com/a/22796835/13580938 — dimitar.bogdanov, Apr 01 '22 at 09:45

adding objects from a windows form into a c# list

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