Accessing multiple dynamic controls values - asp.net

Question

I am adding multiple controls dynamically based on a dropdownlist that the user selects. i.e. if the user selects 3 then 3 sets of the controls are added. My problem is not in adding the controls, I can add them fine, I haven't added all my code but the main parts to understand what I am doing.
Once the controls have been created, the relevant info is captured. On the Update click I need to access the values of these dynamic controls by looping through in the correct order and retrieve the values and write to the database. I can't seem to access them correctly.
Hopefully I am making sense. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
''Loop through first set of controls and get values and then the next set etc..
Dim Description as string = ''Get Textbox value
Dim Type as string = ''Get RadComboBox value
Dim XFieldName as string = ''Get RadComboBox value
Dim Colour as string = ''Get RadColorPicker value
Below is my Code:
VB
Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
RecreateControlsTxt("txt", "TextBox")
RecreateControlsChart("comboChart", "RadComboBox")
RecreateControls("combo", "RadComboBox")
RecreateControlsCP("cp", "RadColorPicker")
End Sub
Protected Sub AddControls_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles AddControls.Click
For i As Integer = 0 To ddlFieldNames.SelectedIndex
CreateTextbox("txt-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))
Next
For i As Integer = 0 To ddlFieldNames.SelectedIndex
CreateComboChart("comboChart-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))
Next
For i As Integer = 0 To ddlFieldNames.SelectedIndex
CreateComboField("combo-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))
Next
For i As Integer = 0 To ddlFieldNames.SelectedIndex
CreateColourPicker("cp-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))
Next
End Sub
Private Sub CreateTextbox(ByVal ID As String)
Dim txt As New TextBox()
txt.ID = ID
txt.Height = 20
Me.divDesc.Controls.Add(txt)
End Sub
Private Sub CreateComboField(ByVal ID As String)
Dim combo As New RadComboBox()
combo.ID = ID
combo.DataSource = Me.odsChartsSeriesField
combo.DataTextField = "FieldNames"
combo.DataValueField = "FieldNames"
combo.DataBind()
Me.divField.Controls.Add(combo)
End Sub
Private Sub CreateComboChart(ByVal ID As String)
Dim comboChart As New RadComboBox()
comboChart.ID = ID
Dim item1 As New RadComboBoxItem()
item1.Text = "Line"
item1.Value = "smoothedLine"
item1.ImageUrl = ("Images/linechart.png")
comboChart.Items.Add(item1)
Dim item2 As New RadComboBoxItem()
item2.Text = "Column"
item2.Value = "column"
item2.ImageUrl = ("Images/bar chart.png")
comboChart.Items.Add(item2)
Dim item3 As New RadComboBoxItem()
item3.Text = "Pie"
item3.Value = "pie"
item3.ImageUrl = ("Images/pie chart.jpg")
comboChart.Items.Add(item3)
Me.divChart.Controls.Add(comboChart)
End Sub
Private Sub CreateColourPicker(ByVal ID As String)
Dim cp As New RadColorPicker()
cp.ID = ID
cp.ShowIcon = True
cp.Style("padding-top") = "1px"
cp.CssClass = "CustomHeight"
Me.divCol.Controls.Add(cp)
End Sub
Protected Sub Update_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Update.Click
Try
Dim alltxt = divDesc.Controls.OfType(Of TextBox)()
Dim allcomboChart = divChart.Controls.OfType(Of RadComboBox)()
Dim allcomboField = divField.Controls.OfType(Of RadComboBox)()
Dim allcp = divCol.Controls.OfType(Of RadColorPicker)()
''Loop through first set of controls and get values and then the next etc..
Dim Description as string = ''Get Textbox value
Dim Type as string = ''Get RadComboBox value
Dim XFieldName as string = ''Get RadComboBox value
Dim Colour as string = ''Get RadColorPicker value
If Page.IsValid Then
Dim da As New dsSVTableAdapters.Chart
Dim Result As String = da.Series(60, Description, Type, Colour, "YFieldName", XFieldName)
End If
Catch ex As Exception
lblResult.Text = ex.Message
End Try
End Sub

Answer 1

You have a repeated set of controls. Therefore you need a corresponding repeated set of variables that store these values.
I suggest creating a class where you can store a variable (or property) set.
Public Class ControlSet
Public Property Description As String
Public Property Type As String
Public Property XFieldName As String
Public Property Colour As String
End Class
Create an array that holds these values
Dim Values = New ControlSet(ddlFieldNames.SelectedIndex) {}
And retrieve the values in a loop
For i As Integer = 0 To Values.Length - 1
Values(i).Description = CType(divDesc.FindControl("txt-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1)), TextBox).Text
Values(i).Type = CType(divChart.FindControl("comboChart-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1)), RadComboBox).SelectedValue
Values(i).XFieldName = ...
...
Next
Also use the ID of the control; this helps to avoid confusion in case you have several controls of the same type.

Answer 2

you can use .FindControl(string id) method, and you should keep the controls count in your view state or session:
Protected Sub Update_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Update.Click
Try
''Loop through first set of controls and get values and then the next etc..
For i As Integer = 0 To controlsCount - 1
Dim Description as string = ((TextBox)divDesc.FindControl("txt-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))).Text ''Get Textbox value
Dim Type as string = ((RadComboBox)divChart.FindControl("comboChart-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))).SelectedValue ''Get RadComboBox value
Dim XFieldName as string = ((RadComboBox)divField.FindControl("combo-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))).SelectedValue ''Get RadComboBox value
Dim Colour as string = ((RadColorPicker)divField.FindControl("cp-" & Convert.ToString(i + 1))).SelectedValue ''Get RadColorPicker value
If Page.IsValid Then
Dim da As New dsSVTableAdapters.Chart
Dim Result As String = da.Series(60, Description, Type, Colour, "YFieldName", XFieldName)
Next
End If
Catch ex As Exception
lblResult.Text = ex.Message
End Try
End Sub