WPF how do I create a textbox dynamically and find the textbox on a button click?

Question

I am creating a TextBox and a Button dynamically using the following code:

Button btnClickMe = new Button();
btnClickMe.Content = "Click Me";
btnClickMe.Name = "btnClickMe";
btnClickMe.Click += new RoutedEventHandler(this.CallMeClick);

someStackPanel.Childern.Add(btnClickMe);

TextBox txtNumber = new TextBox();
txtNumber.Name = "txtNumber";
txtNumber.Text = "1776";

someStackPanel.Childern.Add(txtNumber);

I hook up to a click event to the Click Me button. The click me button even is fired correctly. However I cannot find the TextBox I entered dynamically.

Here is my click me event:

protected void ClickMeClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    // Find the phone number
    TextBox txtNumber = this.someStackPanel.FindName("txtNumber") as TextBox;

    if (txtNumber != null)
    {
        string message = string.Format("The number is {0}", txtNumber.Text);

        MessageBox.Show(message);    
    }
    else
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Textbox is null");
    }
}

How can I find the TextBox txtNumber?

Answer 1

Josh G had the clue that fixed this code: use RegisterName().

Three benefits here:

1. Doesn't use a member variable to save the reference to the dynamically created TextBox.
2. Compiles.

3. Complete code.

   using System;
   using System.Windows;
   using System.Windows.Controls;
   
   namespace AddControlsDynamically
   {
       public partial class Window1 : Window
       {
           public void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
           {
               GenerateControls();
           }
           public void GenerateControls()
           {
               Button btnClickMe = new Button();
               btnClickMe.Content = "Click Me";
               btnClickMe.Name = "btnClickMe";
               btnClickMe.Click += new RoutedEventHandler(this.CallMeClick);
               someStackPanel.Children.Add(btnClickMe);
               TextBox txtNumber = new TextBox();
               txtNumber.Name = "txtNumber";
               txtNumber.Text = "1776";
               someStackPanel.Children.Add(txtNumber);
               someStackPanel.RegisterName(txtNumber.Name, txtNumber);
           }
           protected void CallMeClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
           {
               TextBox txtNumber = (TextBox) this.someStackPanel.FindName("txtNumber");
               string message = string.Format("The number is {0}", txtNumber.Text);
               MessageBox.Show(message);
           }
       }
   }
   

Answer 2

Another method is to set the associated TextBox as Button Tag when instanciating them.

btnClickMe.Tag = txtNumber;

This way you can retrieve it back in event handler.

protected void ClickMeClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    Button btnClickMe = sender as Button;
    if (btnClickMe != null)
    {
        TextBox txtNumber = btnClickMe.Tag as TextBox;
        // ...
    }
}