Hi Derek,
The file MyControls.vb listed below is approximately how you could do it. I couldn't resist. Just add it to your project, then drop instances on your form, setting the +Pinter/InititalText property for each textbox to the prompt you want to see in each empty textbox. (I subclassed TextBox because I just got my laptop back from HP and haven't yet reinstalled SF, but this should give you a leg up.) Some of it, like the BackColor handling, is tentative and not really necessary.
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Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.ComponentModel
Public Class MyTextBox : Inherits TextBox
Private OriginalColor As Color
Private _InitialText As String = ""
<Browsable(True), _
Bindable(True), _
Category("+Pinter"), _
DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Visible)> _
Public Property InitialText() As String
Get
Return _InitialText
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
_InitialText = value
Text = _InitialText
End Set
End Property
Sub New()
Font = New System.Drawing.Font("Courier New", _
9.0!, _
System.Drawing.FontStyle.Regular, _
System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, _
CType(0, Byte))
BackColor = Color.Ivory
End Sub
Private Sub MyTextBox_Enter( _
ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles Me.Enter
BackColor = Color.White
OriginalColor = ForeColor
ForeColor = Color.Black
If InitialText IsNot Nothing Then
If Text.TrimEnd() = InitialText Then
Text = ""
End If
End If
End Sub
Private Sub MyTextBox_Leave(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles Me.Leave
If InitialText IsNot Nothing Then
If Text.TrimEnd() = "" Then
Text = InitialText
End If
End If
BackColor = Color.Ivory
ForeColor = OriginalColor
End Sub
End Class
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Les