Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Globalization
 
Public Class Form1
 
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) _
    Handles Button1.Click
 
        Me.ParseControlInstruction("Textbox2.Enabled = False")
        Me.ParseControlInstruction("Textbox2.Hide()")
 
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub ParseControlInstruction(ByVal instruction As String)
 
        Dim isProperty As Boolean
        Dim isMethod As Boolean
 
        If instruction Like "*[.]*[!(]*[=]*" Then
            isProperty = True
 
        ElseIf instruction Like "*[.]*[!=]*[(]*[)]" Then
            isMethod = True
 
        Else
            Throw New NotImplementedException(String.Format("Cannot recognize the instruction string: {0}", instruction))
 
        End If
 
        ' Fix whitespaces.
        instruction = instruction.Trim({" "c})
 
        ' Fix Namespaces. (THIS IS NOT PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED)
        If instruction.StartsWith("Me.", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) Then
            instruction = instruction.Remove(0, "Me.".Length)
        End If
 
        Dim ctrlName As String = instruction.Substring(0, instruction.IndexOf("."c))
 
        If isProperty Then
            Dim propName As String = instruction.Remove(0, ctrlName.Length + 1)
            propName = propName.Substring(0, propName.IndexOf(" "c))
 
            Dim value As Object = instruction.Substring(instruction.IndexOf("="c) + 1).Trim({" "c})
 
            Me.SetControlProperty(ctrlName, propName, value, MyBase.Controls, searchChildrens:=True)
 
        ElseIf isMethod Then
            Dim methodName As String = instruction.Remove(0, ctrlName.Length + 1).TrimEnd({"("c, ")"c})
 
            Dim methodParamsStr As String = instruction.Substring(instruction.IndexOf("("c) + 1)
            methodParamsStr = methodParamsStr.Substring(0, methodParamsStr.LastIndexOf(")"c))
            Dim methodParams As IEnumerable(Of Object) = methodParamsStr.Split({", "}, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)
 
            Me.CallControlMethod(ctrlName, methodName, methodParams, MyBase.Controls, searchChildrens:=True)
 
        End If
 
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub SetControlProperty(ByVal ctrlName As String,
                                   ByVal propName As String,
                                   ByVal value As Object,
                                   ByVal controlCollection As Control.ControlCollection,
                                   Optional ByVal searchChildrens As Boolean = False,
                                   Optional ByVal searchFlags As BindingFlags =
                                                                 BindingFlags.IgnoreCase Or
                                                                 BindingFlags.Instance Or
                                                                 BindingFlags.Public Or
                                                                 BindingFlags.NonPublic)
 
        Dim ctrl As Control = controlCollection.Find(ctrlName, searchChildrens).FirstOrDefault
        Dim prop As PropertyInfo
 
        Select Case ctrl Is Nothing
 
            Case False
                Try
                    prop = ctrl.GetType().GetProperty(propName, searchFlags)
 
                Catch ex As AmbiguousMatchException
                    Throw New AmbiguousMatchException(String.Format("More than one property found with the same name: {0}", propName))
                    Exit Sub
 
                End Try
 
                Select Case prop Is Nothing
 
                    Case False
                        Try
                            prop.SetValue(ctrl, Convert.ChangeType(value, prop.PropertyType), Nothing)
 
                        Catch ex As Exception
                            Throw
 
                        End Try
 
                    Case Else
                        Throw New NullReferenceException(String.Format("Property not found by name: {0}", propName))
 
                End Select ' prop Is Nothing
 
            Case Else
                Throw New NullReferenceException(String.Format("Control not found by name: {0}", ctrlName))
 
        End Select ' ctrl Is Nothing
 
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub CallControlMethod(ByVal ctrlName As String,
                                  ByVal methodName As String,
                                  ByVal methodParams As IEnumerable(Of Object),
                                  ByVal controlCollection As Control.ControlCollection,
                                  Optional ByVal searchChildrens As Boolean = False,
                                  Optional ByVal searchFlags As BindingFlags =
                                                                BindingFlags.IgnoreCase Or
                                                                BindingFlags.Instance Or
                                                                BindingFlags.Public Or
                                                                BindingFlags.NonPublic)
 
        Dim ctrl As Control = controlCollection.Find(ctrlName, searchChildrens).FirstOrDefault
        Dim method As MethodInfo
 
        Select Case ctrl Is Nothing
 
            Case False
                Try
                    method = ctrl.GetType().GetMethod(methodName, searchFlags)
 
                Catch ex As AmbiguousMatchException
                    Throw New AmbiguousMatchException(String.Format("More than one method found with the same name: {0}", methodName))
                    Exit Sub
 
                End Try
 
                Select Case method Is Nothing
 
                    Case False
                        Try
                            method.Invoke(ctrl, searchFlags, Nothing, methodParams.ToArray, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)
 
                        Catch ex As Exception
                            Throw
 
                        End Try
 
                    Case Else
                        Throw New NullReferenceException(String.Format("Method not found by name: {0}", methodName))
 
                End Select ' prop Is Nothing
 
            Case Else
                Throw New NullReferenceException(String.Format("Control not found by name: {0}", ctrlName))
 
        End Select ' ctrl Is Nothing
 
    End Sub
 
End Class