CODEWITHSUNDEEP
vb.netvisual-studio-2012parametersarguments
andrewb
andrewb

Reputation: 5339

How can I specify what arguments are valid in a function

I have a function:

ShowMessage(message As String, type As String)

There are only three valid inputs for type - "Error", "Warning", and "Success". I want to make it so that as you're typing in the function and you get to the type parameter, a drop down appears with the valid inputs.

Is this even possible? If I can't do it with strings, can I build an array of options or something?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 111

Answers (2)

Ňɏssa Pøngjǣrdenlarp
Ňɏssa Pøngjǣrdenlarp

Reputation: 38865

fixing a few things:

Friend Enum MessageType
  Success
  Warning 
  Critical             ' Error is reserved, use [Error] or something else
End Enum

 Sub ShowMessage(message As String, mType As MessageType)

To use it as you might have been when it was a string, say as a Msgbox Title:

Dim msgType as String = mType.ToString

This converts MessageType.Critical into "Critical" and is why I did not use [Error] above - to avoid brackets in the text.

.ToString only works when the variable is declared as MessageType, If mtype is actually an integer which happens to acquire a MessageType value, .ToString will return "2". In that case, cast the integer to get the Enum Name:

Dim msgType as String = [Enum].GetName(GetType(mType))
'or
msgType = [Enum].Parse(GetType(MessageType), mType).ToString

Upvotes: 3

Szymon
Szymon

Reputation: 43023

You should use an enum when there's a limited, pre-defined number of options to choose from

Enum MessageType
    [Error],
    Warning,
    Success
End Enum

(Error has to be in square brackets as it's a keyword)

and your call would be 

 ShowMessage(message As String, type As MessageType)

Upvotes: 2

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