title: C# issue: How do I manipulate a Textbox on one form from another form?
body: <p>I'm trying to create my own error window for the project I am working on. When I show my error window I have no way to pass the error message, and user message to the Error window because the "ErrorMessage.Text" cannot be seen in the classes I make.</p>
  
  <p>I went into the form designer generated code and tried to make the TextBox static, but that just breaks things. Can I make a TextBox public / static so I can change it from another form?</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>How do I make a TextBox Static Public so I can manipulate it across other forms, or is there another method for doing this?</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT:</strong></p>
  
  <p>Okay, for more information...</p>
  
  <p>I have my own Form created. It is called "formErrorWindow." I need to display the form that i've pre-designed with the message set from another form. The only way I can do this is if I create a Function in the windows designer area for the form, and I set the variables with "this.errorMsg.text = error." The only way I can see that function is if I set it to static. If I set the function to Static, when I try and put "this.errorMsg.Text = error" I get this error: <em>An object reference is required for the non-static field, method, or property.</em></p>
  
  <p>Here is what I've attempted:</p>
  
  <pre><code>    namespace LCR_ShepherdStaffupdater_1._0
      {
          partial class formErrorWindow
          {
              /// &lt;summary&gt;
              /// Required designer variable.
              /// &lt;/summary&gt;
              public System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;
  
              /// &lt;summary&gt;
              /// Clean up any resources being used.
              /// &lt;/summary&gt;
              /// &lt;param name="disposing"&gt;true if managed resources should be disposed; otherwise, false.&lt;/param&gt;
              /// 
  
              protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
              {
                  if (disposing &amp;&amp; (components != null))
                  {
                      components.Dispose();
                  }
                  base.Dispose(disposing);
              }
  
              #region Windows Form Designer generated code
  
              /// &lt;summary&gt;
              /// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
              /// the contents of this method with the code editor.
              /// &lt;/summary&gt;
  // ********* HERE IS THE FUNCTION THAT IVE ADDED BELOW. THIS WOULD WORK BUT.... *********
       public static void showError(string errorTitle, string usrMsg, string errorMsg)
      {
          formErrorWindow errorWindow = new formErrorWindow();
          errorMsgItem.Text = errorMsg;
          errorTitleItem.Text = "Error! : " + errorTitle;
          usrMsgItem.Text = usrMsg;
          errorWindow.ShowDialog();
      }
  // ********* HERE IS THE FUNCTION THAT IVE ADDED ABOVE. THIS WOULD WORK BUT.... *********
  // ********* I get an error: "An object reference is required for the non-static field, method, or property." *********
              public void InitializeComponent()
              {
                  System.ComponentModel.ComponentResourceManager resources = new System.ComponentModel.ComponentResourceManager(typeof(formErrorWindow));
                  this.usrMsgItem = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();
                  this.errorTitleItem = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
                  this.errorMsgItem = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();
                  this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
                  this.panel1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();
                  this.label2 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
                  this.panel1.SuspendLayout();
                  this.SuspendLayout();
                  // 
                  // usrMsgItem
                  // 
                  this.usrMsgItem.Enabled = false;
                  this.usrMsgItem.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(13, 37);
                  this.usrMsgItem.Multiline = true;
                  this.usrMsgItem.Name = "usrMsgItem";
                  this.usrMsgItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(334, 81);
                  this.usrMsgItem.TabIndex = 0;
                  this.usrMsgItem.Text = "Undefined";
                  // 
                  // errorTitleItem
                  // 
                  this.errorTitleItem.AutoSize = true;
                  this.errorTitleItem.Font = new System.Drawing.Font("Microsoft Sans Serif", 12F, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold, System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, ((byte)(0)));
                  this.errorTitleItem.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Red;
                  this.errorTitleItem.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 9);
                  this.errorTitleItem.Name = "errorTitleItem";
                  this.errorTitleItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(152, 20);
                  this.errorTitleItem.TabIndex = 1;
                  this.errorTitleItem.Text = "Error! : Undefined";
                  // 
                  // errorMsgItem
                  // 
                  this.errorMsgItem.Enabled = false;
                  this.errorMsgItem.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(0, 21);
                  this.errorMsgItem.Multiline = true;
                  this.errorMsgItem.Name = "errorMsgItem";
                  this.errorMsgItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(329, 101);
                  this.errorMsgItem.TabIndex = 2;
                  this.errorMsgItem.Text = "Undefined";
                  // 
                  // button1
                  // 
                  this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(272, 256);
                  this.button1.Name = "button1";
                  this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
                  this.button1.TabIndex = 3;
                  this.button1.Text = "Continue";
                  this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
                  this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);
                  // 
                  // panel1
                  // 
                  this.panel1.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.FromArgb(((int)(((byte)(255)))), ((int)(((byte)(128)))), ((int)(((byte)(128)))));
                  this.panel1.Controls.Add(this.label2);
                  this.panel1.Controls.Add(this.errorMsgItem);
                  this.panel1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 124);
                  this.panel1.Name = "panel1";
                  this.panel1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(335, 126);
                  this.panel1.TabIndex = 4;
                  // 
                  // label2
                  // 
                  this.label2.AutoSize = true;
                  this.label2.Font = new System.Drawing.Font("Microsoft Sans Serif", 10F, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold, System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, ((byte)(0)));
                  this.label2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(68, 1);
                  this.label2.Name = "label2";
                  this.label2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(189, 17);
                  this.label2.TabIndex = 3;
                  this.label2.Text = "Technical Error Message";
                  // 
                  // formErrorWindow
                  // 
                  this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
                  this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
                  this.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.FromArgb(((int)(((byte)(255)))), ((int)(((byte)(192)))), ((int)(((byte)(192)))));
                  this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(359, 290);
                  this.Controls.Add(this.panel1);
                  this.Controls.Add(this.button1);
                  this.Controls.Add(this.errorTitleItem);
                  this.Controls.Add(this.usrMsgItem);
                  this.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.FixedToolWindow;
                  this.Icon = ((System.Drawing.Icon)(resources.GetObject("$this.Icon")));
                  this.MaximizeBox = false;
                  this.MinimizeBox = false;
                  this.Name = "formErrorWindow";
                  this.StartPosition = System.Windows.Forms.FormStartPosition.CenterParent;
                  this.Text = "Error!";
                  this.VisibleChanged += new System.EventHandler(this.formErrorWindow_VisibleChanged);
                  this.panel1.ResumeLayout(false);
                  this.panel1.PerformLayout();
                  this.ResumeLayout(false);
                  this.PerformLayout();
  
              }
  
              #endregion
  
              private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
              private System.Windows.Forms.Panel panel1;
              private System.Windows.Forms.Label label2;
              public System.Windows.Forms.TextBox usrMsgItem;
              public System.Windows.Forms.Label errorTitleItem;
              public System.Windows.Forms.TextBox errorMsgItem;
          }
      }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Look for the function I've added above. How do I get that to compile and do what I want it to do WITHOUT that error I keep getting: <strong>An object reference is required for the non-static field, method, or property.</strong></p>