Simple stock taking program in C# Windows forms

Question

so I've made a simple program meant to increase and decrease numbers, then save those numbers, basically a rubbish stock taking app, I want to make one I can use and well it's usable I'd say the code isn't refined enough to take it from this little program to a bigger better one. I want to make one because I want to practice programming more and I want a simple program that works well with a tablet. I'm wondering if there is a better way to program the buttons and the way it saves and loads more efficiently I don't want every button to have the same code but I can't seem to figure out how. Thanks

This was done with C# in Windows forms

The top section of my code saves it, the middle loads it and the long repetitive end are all the buttons, there is also an attempt to make a timer in there

Code in text:

using (StreamWriter outputfile = new 
           StreamWriter($@"SaveData.txt"))
    {

        //Loads the stuff from the last session

        string OutPut = Item1.Text + "\n" + Amount1.Text + "\n" + Item2.Text + "\n" + Amount2.Text + "\n" + Item3.Text + "\n" + Amount3.Text
            + "\n" + Item4.Text + "\n" + Amount4.Text + "\n" + Item5.Text + "\n" + Amount5.Text + "\n" + Item6.Text + "\n" + Amount6.Text;

        outputfile.WriteLine(OutPut);
    };

    z
    Save.Text = "Saved";

    //My attempt to make a timer v
    {
        /*

         My attempt at making the saved button count up. 

           for (int a = 0; a < 60; a++)
        {
            int savedSince = a;

            Save.Text = "Saved" + " " + Convert.ToString(savedSince);

            Task.Delay(1000);
        }

        Save.Text = "Saved <1 Min";

        */
    }
}

private void Load_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    using (StreamReader inputfile = new StreamReader($@"SaveData.txt"))
    {

        //This is to load everything by reading the text file line by line for each thing.

        Item1.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
        Amount1.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();

        Item2.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
        Amount2.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();

        Item3.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
        Amount3.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();

        Item4.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
        Amount4.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();

        Item5.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
        Amount5.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();

        Item6.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
        Amount6.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
    }

}

/*
The first one adds 1 to the count by taking the text box and turning it into an int 
then taking the new int and turning it into a string and replacing the text box with it, 
same for the second one but it takes one off, then it repeats for the next two buttons 
and so on
*/

private void Add1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount1.Text) + 1;

    Amount1.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Decrease1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount1.Text) - 1;

    Amount1.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Add2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount2.Text) + 1;

    Amount2.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Decrease2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount2.Text) - 1;

    Amount2.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Add3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount3.Text) + 1;

    Amount3.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Decrease3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount3.Text) - 1;

    Amount3.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Add4_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount4.Text) + 1;

    Amount4.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Decrease4_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount4.Text) - 1;

    Amount4.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Add5_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount5.Text) + 1;

    Amount5.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Decrease5_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount5.Text) - 1;

    Amount5.Text = Convert.ToString(amount);
}

private void Add6_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(Amount6.Text) + 1

Answer 1

@jdt gave a decent answer and I particularly like the closing statement of using a DataGridView. For now, let's look at other alternative techniques using text boxes.

To output the values to to text file, you can try

var boxes = new List<TextBox>()
{ 
    Item1, Amount1,
    Item2, Amount2,
    Item3, Amount3,
    Item4, Amount4,
    Item5, Amount5
};

string output = String.Join(Environment.NewLine, boxes.Select(x => x.Text));

File.WriteAllText("SaveData.txt", output);

This uses the more proper Environment.NewLine , which is a new line AND carriage return. It also is OS independent so your app would run smoothly on Linux as well as Windows.

There is no need for a using since we output the contents all at once.

To Add or Decrease Amounts by 1

private void UpdateAmount(TextBox amountBox, int adjustment)
{
    int amount = Convert.ToInt32(amountBox.Text) + adjustment;
    amountBox.Text = amount.ToString();
}

private void Add1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) => UpdateAmount(Amount1, 1);
private void Decrease1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) => UpdateAmount(Amount1, -1);
// Repeat for Amount2 - 4
private void Add5_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) => UpdateAmount(Amount5, 1);
private void Decrease5_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) => UpdateAmount(Amount5, -1);

Most C# developers would prefer to use the simple amount.ToString() rather than Convert.ToString(amount).

Answer 2

You can create the event handlers dynamically instead of hard coding them. The following will add events handlers for all the Add and Decrease buttons:

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    foreach (var ctrl in Controls)
    {
        var control = (Control)ctrl;
        if (control.Name.StartsWith("Add") || control.Name.StartsWith("Decrease"))
            control.Click += buttonClicked;
    }
}

private Control getAssociatedControl(Control control, string name)
{
    var id = string.Concat(control.Name.ToArray().Reverse().TakeWhile(char.IsNumber).Reverse());
    return Controls[name + id];
}

private void buttonClicked(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    var control = (Control)sender;
    var textbox = getAssociatedControl(control, "Ammount");
    int increment = control.Name.StartsWith("Add") ? 1 : -1;
    textbox.Text = (int.Parse(textbox.Text) + increment).ToString();
}

You can use the same trick for loading and saving but here you will have to sort them to make sure that they are always in the same order:

private void Load_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    var dict = new SortedDictionary<string, Control>();
    foreach (var ctrl in Controls)
    {
        var control = (Control)ctrl;
        if (control.Name.StartsWith("Item"))
            dict[control.Name] = control;
    }

    using (StreamReader inputfile = new StreamReader($@"SaveData.txt"))
    {
        foreach (var name in dict.Keys)
        {
            var label = dict[name];
            var textbox = getAssociatedControl(label, "Ammount");
            label.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
            textbox.Text = inputfile.ReadLine();
        }
    }
}

Add some point you are going to get tired of having hundreds of buttons and text boxes and should consider rather using a DataGridView =)