Problem with Control array

[//Gonz]

Hello Daniwebbers

I have a 2 dimentional control array which gets added to it programatically. There's a lot to add to it but i have already stumbled at the first hurdle.
I keep getting the standard "Object reference not set to an instance of an object." error when the first control is added.

Control array is initialised:

Control[ ][ ] TControls = new Control[6][];

Controls are added:

t = 1;

TControls[t][1] = new GroupBox();
TControls[t][1].Visible = false;
TControls[t][1].Parent = gbtasks;
TControls[t][1].Name = "t" + (t + 1).ToString();
TControls[t][1].ForeColor = Color.SeaGreen;
TControls[t][1].Text = (t + 1).ToString();
TControls[t][1].Size = new Size(262, 42);

if (t == 1)
    TControls[t][1].Location = new Point(3, 68);
else
    TControls[t][1].Location = new Point(3, 68 + (43 * (t - 1)));

TControls[t][1].MouseEnter += new EventHandler(TEnter);

thank you very much for your help

[nmaillet]

You initializes one dimension of the 2D array. You need to initialize each element of that dimension, like so:

TControls[t] = new Control[size];

This is called a jagged array, since each element of the first dimension can have a different length. FYI, C# also has a convention for a rectangular array, like this:

Control[,] TControls = new Control[width, height];

In this case, you don't need to initialize like I mentioned above, since it is handled for you, but it all depends on whether or not your array needs to be jagged or not.

[//Gonz]

thankyou for the help mmailet

do you mean i need to initialise the first dimension of the array before adding controls to the second?

Pretty much, the first dimension of the array is a groupbox, and the second dimension of the array is all the controls contained within this group box.

[//Gonz]

Thank you!
I may use a rectangular array.

[nmaillet]

Well kind of... A 2D array is an array of arrays. So the first dimension is an array of Control[]. That is, the first dimension doesn't hold a control, it holds an array Control[]. I hope that makes sense...