Question

I have a class derived from a Form, it has textbox for username and password and an OK button. I want it to behave like an InputBox so I can use it like this:

Dim Username As String = ""
Dim Password As String = ""
Dim authorization As New Authorization(Username, Password)
authorization.ShowDialog()
    'The user will click OK and I will expect the Username and Password to change based on the user input
MsgBox(Username & " " & Password)

The Authorization class:

Public Class Authorization
    Dim RefUsername As String
    Dim RefPassword As String

    Public Sub New(ByRef Username As String, ByRef Password As String)
        InitializeComponent()

        RefUsername = Username 'I'm trying to pass reference instead of value
        RefPassword = Password 'I'm trying to pass reference instead of value
    End Sub

    Private Sub OKButton_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles AuthorizeButton.Click
        RefUsername = Username.Text 'I'm trying to change value of variable outside the class
        RefPassword = Password.Text 'I'm trying to change value of variable outside the class
        Me.Close()

    End Sub
End Class

In short, I want to change the value of variables outside the class when the user clicks the OK, how am I going to accomplish that?

Answer 1

You can just add properties to the class to modify it from outside like any other class:

Public Class Authorization

    Friend Property RefUsername As String
    Friend Property RefPassword As String

    'this constructor isn't really necessary with this new approach,
    'but I'll leave it as-is.
    Public Sub New(ByRef Username As String, ByRef Password As String)
        InitializeComponent()

        RefUsername = Username ' 
        RefPassword = Password
    End Sub

    Private Sub OKButton_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                               ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                               Handles AuthorizeButton.Click

        Me.DialogResult = DialogResult.OK

    End Sub
End Class

From the outside you then get username and password:

Dim Username As String = ""
Dim Password As String = ""

Dim authorization As New Authorization(Username, Password)
'this constructor isn't really necessary with this new approach,
'but I'll leave it as-is.

If authorization.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
    MsgBox(authorization.RefUsername & " " & authorization.RefPassword)
End If