vb.net - How to select an image from resources via a string? -

i'm coding pokedex type deal practice class. basically, have class titled "pokemon". 1 of properties of class "imgname" want use display image resources same name.

vb doesn't allow me call imgname string , use 'my.resources.imgname'

how can this, or alternative options it? want determined property in pokemon object, , don't want have hard code in if-elseif statement every single pokemon.

one way can have resource file added project. drop resource it. able address this:

my.resources.resource1.imgname 

resource1 resource file name, , imgname resource name here. need hard code every call. however, full intellisense support type checking.

if don't want hard code, here stripped down version of production code:

imports system.reflection imports system.xml.linq  public class embeddedresourcemanager   private class embeddedresourcemanagercore     private shared _executingassembly assembly     private shared _resourceprefix string      shared sub new()       _executingassembly = assembly.getexecutingassembly       _resourceprefix = _executingassembly.getname.name & "."     end sub      public shared function getstream(resourcerelname string) io.stream       return _executingassembly.getmanifestresourcestream(_resourceprefix & resourcerelname)     end function   end class    public shared function getimage(byval resourcename string) bitmap     return new bitmap(embeddedresourcemanagercore.getstream(resourcename))   end function end class 

so whenever need, call embeddedresourcemanager.getimage , pass resource name, appears in project (your image file needs attached project). need have build action image in question set embedded resource.

this piles resource executable, has both benefits , drawbacks, depending on situation. still, should work needs, since assuming number of different pokemons limited , not change throughout game (i.e. downloaded 3rd party server in real time etc.).