How do I make a textbox that only accepts numbers?

Question

I have a windows forms app with a textbox control that I want to only accept integer values. In the past I\'ve done this kind of validation by overloading the KeyPress event

Answer 1

This might be useful. It allows "real" numeric values, including proper decimal points and preceding plus or minus signs. Call it from within the related KeyPress event.

       private bool IsOKForDecimalTextBox(char theCharacter, TextBox theTextBox)
    {
        // Only allow control characters, digits, plus and minus signs.
        // Only allow ONE plus sign.
        // Only allow ONE minus sign.
        // Only allow the plus or minus sign as the FIRST character.
        // Only allow ONE decimal point.
        // Do NOT allow decimal point or digits BEFORE any plus or minus sign.

        if (
            !char.IsControl(theCharacter)
            && !char.IsDigit(theCharacter)
            && (theCharacter != '.')
            && (theCharacter != '-')
            && (theCharacter != '+')
        )
        {
            // Then it is NOT a character we want allowed in the text box.
            return false;
        }



        // Only allow one decimal point.
        if (theCharacter == '.'
            && theTextBox.Text.IndexOf('.') > -1)
        {
            // Then there is already a decimal point in the text box.
            return false;
        }

        // Only allow one minus sign.
        if (theCharacter == '-'
            && theTextBox.Text.IndexOf('-') > -1)
        {
            // Then there is already a minus sign in the text box.
            return false;
        }

        // Only allow one plus sign.
        if (theCharacter == '+'
            && theTextBox.Text.IndexOf('+') > -1)
        {
            // Then there is already a plus sign in the text box.
            return false;
        }

        // Only allow one plus sign OR minus sign, but not both.
        if (
            (
                (theCharacter == '-')
                || (theCharacter == '+')
            )
            && 
            (
                (theTextBox.Text.IndexOf('-') > -1)
                ||
                (theTextBox.Text.IndexOf('+') > -1)
            )
            )
        {
            // Then the user is trying to enter a plus or minus sign and
            // there is ALREADY a plus or minus sign in the text box.
            return false;
        }

        // Only allow a minus or plus sign at the first character position.
        if (
            (
                (theCharacter == '-')
                || (theCharacter == '+')
            )
            && theTextBox.SelectionStart != 0
            )
        {
            // Then the user is trying to enter a minus or plus sign at some position 
            // OTHER than the first character position in the text box.
            return false;
        }

        // Only allow digits and decimal point AFTER any existing plus or minus sign
        if  (
                (
                    // Is digit or decimal point
                    char.IsDigit(theCharacter)
                    ||
                    (theCharacter == '.')
                )
                &&
                (
                    // A plus or minus sign EXISTS
                    (theTextBox.Text.IndexOf('-') > -1)
                    ||
                    (theTextBox.Text.IndexOf('+') > -1)
                )
                &&
                    // Attempting to put the character at the beginning of the field.
                    theTextBox.SelectionStart == 0
            )
        {
            // Then the user is trying to enter a digit or decimal point in front of a minus or plus sign.
            return false;
        }

        // Otherwise the character is perfectly fine for a decimal value and the character
        // may indeed be placed at the current insertion position.
        return true;
    }