Array of TForm problems

[HatForCat]

I need to have an unknown number of three different forms available at run time. I have created the three forms and set them as "Available Forms" named "frmOne", "frmTwo" and "frmThree" There could be five of frmOne, seven of frmTwo etc.

I have defined a record

Code: [Select]

type
  TFrmRec = record
    ID : Integer;
    Frm : TForm;
  end;
var
     FrmArr : Array of TFrmRec;

begin

That compiles OK, but, how do I assign and use the forms as needed at run time? So far I have...

Code: [Select]

var
  i : Integer;
  Indx : Integer;
begin
  Indx:=High(FrmArr)+1;
  FrmArr[Indx].ID:=9;  // Or whatever is passed to here
  FrmArr[Indx].Frm...

But not sure where  to go from here and how to "Show" the Forms. 
[EDIT]
(Ooops, that was "ShowModal" but I need "Show" as there can be several versions of the one form visible but with their own data.
[/EDIT]

I did some searching but can't find anything with Forms in an Array.

[bylaardt]

In this case, TList instead array is a best choice.
If you use ID, you can define a Integer in the form.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. For i:=1 to 5 do
2.   MyList1.add(TFrmOne.create(application));
3.  
4. For i:=1 to 7 do
5.   MyList2.add(TFrmTwo.create(application));
6.  
7. For i:=1 to 7 do
8.   MyList3.add(TFrmtree.create(application));
9.  
10. //and showmodal:
11.  
12. TFrmOne(MyList1[MyChosenIndex]).showmodal;
13.  

[howardpc]

The attached project shows one way to accomplish this.

[HatForCat]

In this case, TList instead array is a best choice.

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[rvk]

It might be of interest that there is already a TFormList held automatically.
Screen.Forms (It's declared as FFormList: TFPList; in Screen)

So why not just access Screen.Forms instead of keeping a list for yourself. You could even use the tag-property of the form as form of identification if you want (or use caption or something).

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. var
2.   I: Integer;
3. begin
4.   // you can create your forms but not show them
5.   // they will still be in Screen.Forms list
6.   for I := 0 to Screen.FormCount - 1 do
7.   begin
8.     if Screen.Forms[I].Tag = 1001 then
9.     begin
10.       Screen.Forms[I].ShowModal;
11.       // or do something else with the form
12.       if Screen.Forms[I] is TForm1 then
13.         TForm1(Screen.Forms[I]).Button1.Click;
14.     end;
15.   end;
16. end;

[HatForCat]

Screen.Forms (It's declared as FFormList: TFPList; in Screen)

Thanks, I just had a play with that but there is too much going on within some of the forms and I need them to retain their own data so I can BringToFront if they are already showing.

[rvk]

... but there is too much going on within some of the forms and I need them to retain their own data so I can BringToFront if they are already showing.

The forms do retain all their data. It's just a pointer to ANY form inherited from TForm (which all forms are).

You can still access that data:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. if Screen.Forms[I] is TMySpecialForm then
2.   TMySpecialForm(Screen.Forms[I]).MyExtraSpeciaData := 'yeah baby';
3. if Screen.Forms[I] is TMyOtherSpecialForm then
4.   TMyOtherSpecialForm(Screen.Forms[I]).Show;
5. // you can do anything with casting the correct form

You can create your own TFormList if you want but all the forms are always already in Screen.Forms

[HatForCat]

You can still access that data:

Thanks, I should have left "data" out of that recent statement, on one form there are nine Up-Down controls, seven buttons, two DBGrids, three pages in a TabControl and more. All forms have similar things going on. Just too much to handle by proxy.

But, thanks for trying to help.

[rvk]

... on one form there are nine Up-Down controls, seven buttons, two DBGrids, three pages in a TabControl and more. All forms have similar things going on. Just too much to handle by proxy.

Mmmm, I'm still not sure how you are going to handle this then with a TList (or something else). You'll run into the same "problem" as with using just Screen.Forms.

But ok, I'll take it you know what you're doing in your own project.

[Thaddy]

Yes. But - given the dit - I also wonder if he realizes that every version of the same form needs to be instantiated = created first.

The answers from Bylaart and Rik should be sufficient if he knows that already.

[HatForCat]

Yes. But - given the dit -

What is a "dit?"

I also wonder if he realizes that every version of the same form needs to be instantiated = created first.

Yes, he does!

Perhaps you missed this salient bit of my OP, "an unknown number"

There could be 100 of form1 and none of form2 or form3, or 10 of form1, 7 of form2 or any numbers the the user decides ho many of each they need to watch.

It is always more helpful on a "help forum," to actually offer help rather than denigrate the poster. If you know how it should be done, then please help, by posting example code.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/help

[shobits1]

The attached project shows one way to accomplish this.

the attached sample by howardpc works fine,,
did you try it? what's wrong with it? what's missing?