Creating an array of controls in Delphi

[dummzeuch 1517]

One frequently asked question that still gets asked today goes like this: “How do I create an array of [component] and fill it with existing [component] instances from the form?” Where [component] usually is TLabel, TCheckbox or TEdit.

I’m going to outline some solutions here.

Let’s start by defining some parameters:

1. We have got a (VCL) form
2. On that form there are several controls of the same type. Let’s make them CheckBoxes.
3. We want to do something with all these controls
4. In order to make this easier, we want to create an array that contains all these controls

 

So, this is the form:

 

read on in my blog post

Edited November 17, 2019 by dummzeuch

[aehimself 399]

I'd add a scrollbox in the groupboxes first, and add insert the controls on the scrollboxes. Just to be sure that they'll be all visible.

 

Edit: Also, I'd add recursivity in the GetAllCheckboxes method, but that's only my taste.

  

Edited November 17, 2019 by aehimself

[dummzeuch 1517]

I'm not talking about dynamically adding checkboxes to groupboxes at runtime, but about adding those created in the designer to an array for easier processing.

[David Heffernan 2353]

What's wrong with just adding the controls to a collection? 

 

Controls.Add(control1);

Controls.Add(control2);

 

Etc.

 

[Fr0sT.Brutal 900]

In some places I use such constructions
 

for ctrl in TArray<TControl>.Create(Button1, Checkbox1, Memo1) do
  ctrl.Enabled := True;

 

[M.Joos 30]

9 hours ago, Fr0sT.Brutal said:

In some places I use such constructions
 

for ctrl in TArray<TControl>.Create(Button1, Checkbox1, Memo1) do
  ctrl.Enabled := True;

 

That's nifty ! I will put that one to my toolbox.