A small functionality change.

Here's what can happen when a small functionality change is required in a fairly complex application. In this case, there are a few TabPages that are generated dynamically. Some of the TabPages have a 'Save Details' button.

The change: one of the TabPages now should NOT have a 'Save Details' button if the object is a 'new' object (not yet saved in the database). Easy!

Solution:

this.tabControl.Controls.Add(this.mySomethingTabPage);

HideOrShowSaveButton(this.mySomethingTabPage); // solution

...

public void HideOrShowSaveButton(TabPage tabPage)
{
 //'save details' should not appear on the 'MySomething' tab page if 
 //the object is a new object

 //find 'save details' button

 ToolStripButton mySmallSaveButton = null;

 foreach (Control c in this.mySomethingTabPage.Controls)
 {
  SomeDetails.SomeDetailsHeadingView pdhv = c as SomeDetails.SomeDetailsHeadingView;

  if (pdhv != null)
  {
   foreach (Control c1 in pdhv.Controls)
   {
    ToolStrip headingToolStrip = c1 as ToolStrip;

    if (headingToolStrip != null)
    {
     foreach (ToolStripItem item in headingToolStrip.Items)
     {
      if (item.Name == "SaveButton")
      {
       mySmallSaveButton = item as ToolStripButton;

       //hide button on the 'someDetails' tab if new object
       if (mySmallSaveButton != null)
       {
        if (Global.currentObject.IsNewObject)
        {
         mySmallSaveButton.Visible = false;
         mySmallSaveButton.Enabled = false;
        }
        else
        {
         mySmallSaveButton.Visible = true;
         mySmallSaveButton.Enabled = true;
        }
        return;
       }
      }
     }
    }
   }
  }
 }
}

Had to hardcode the 'SaveButton' name which I would really want to avoid, but did not want to spend more time on that.

Thoughts: this application could have been designed a little better to make future changes not so painful.

by Evgeny. Also posted on my website