title: Accessing Forms data from another form
body: <p>"Give the code below, how would I access the listBox1 in Form2? I'm sure I'm missing stupid! Thanks in advance."</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Error 1   'WindowsFormsApplication1.Form2.listBox1' is inaccessible due
    to its protection
    level C:\Users\dugaj0\Desktop\Developing\GlobalUser\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1\Form1.cs    24  19  WindowsFormsApplication1</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <pre><code>using System;
  using System.IO;
  using System.Collections.Generic;
  using System.ComponentModel;
  using System.Data;
  using System.Drawing;
  using System.Linq;
  using System.Text;
  using System.Windows.Forms;
  
  namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
  {
      public partial class Form1 : Form
      {
          public Form1()
          {
              InitializeComponent();
          }
  
          private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
          {
              String value1 = File.ReadAllText(textBox1.Text);
              foreach (string line in value1.Split('\n'));
              Form2.listBox1.Items.Add();
          }
      }
  }
  
  using System;
  using System.Collections.Generic;
  using System.ComponentModel;
  using System.Data;
  using System.Drawing;
  using System.Linq;
  using System.Text;
  using System.Windows.Forms;
  
  namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
  {
      public partial class Form2 : Form
      {
          public Form2()
          {
              InitializeComponent();
          }
  
          private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
          {
              Application.Exit();
          }
      }
  }
  
  namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
  {
      partial class Form2
      {
          /// &lt;summary&gt;
          /// Required designer variable.
          /// &lt;/summary&gt;
          private 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;
          private void InitializeComponent()
          {
              this.listBox1 = new System.Windows.Forms.ListBox();
              this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
              this.SuspendLayout();
              // 
              // listBox1
              // 
              this.listBox1.FormattingEnabled = true;
              this.listBox1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(13, 13);
              this.listBox1.Name = "listBox1";
              this.listBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(259, 212);
              this.listBox1.TabIndex = 0;
              // 
              // button1
              // 
              this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(105, 231);
              this.button1.Name = "button1";
              this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
              this.button1.TabIndex = 1;
              this.button1.Text = "Exit";
              this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
              this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);
              // 
              // Form2
              // 
              this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
              this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
              this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(284, 262);
              this.Controls.Add(this.button1);
              this.Controls.Add(this.listBox1);
              this.Name = "Form2";
              this.Text = "Form2";
              this.ResumeLayout(false);
  
          }
  
          #endregion
  
          private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox listBox1;
          private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
      }
  }
  </code></pre>