Click and recognize part of text in textbox vb.net - string

Question

I am trying to make a program that utilises a textbox that has text options listed in it that can be clicked on.
As a textbox example:
[Selection:<1><2><3>]
so the user could then as example click on (over the text) <2> to select the 2nd option or <3> so select the 3rd option. The idea comes from the AutoCAD commands prompt which uses a similar system.
How would I achieve something like this in vb.net code (if its even possible)?

Answer 1

Try this:
Private Sub TextBox1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles TextBox1.Click
Dim SplitText As String() = TextBox1.Text.Split(CChar("<"), ">")
Dim SelectedText As String = GetSelectedText()
Dim Options As New List(Of String)
If Not SelectedText = "" Then
For i = 0 To SplitText.Length - 1
If IsNumeric(SplitText(i)) Then
Options.Add("<" & SplitText(i) & ">")
End If
Next
For i = 0 To Options.Count - 1
If SelectedText = Options(i) Then
'Put your code here if it is the current option in the loop equals the selected option.
'I added a messagebox just so you can see the current option.
MessageBox.Show("You selected option: " & Options(i))
End If
Next
End If
End Sub
Private Function GetSelectedText()
Dim CursorPosition As Integer = TextBox1.SelectionStart
Dim SelectedNumber As String = ""
Dim NumberLength As Integer = 0
If CursorPosition = 0 Or CursorPosition = TextBox1.Text.Length Then
Return ""
End If
Do Until Mid(TextBox1.Text, CursorPosition - NumberLength, 1) = "<"
NumberLength += 1
Loop
SelectedNumber = Mid(TextBox1.Text, CursorPosition - NumberLength, NumberLength + 1)
NumberLength = 0
CursorPosition += 1
Do Until Mid(TextBox1.Text, CursorPosition + NumberLength, 1) = ">"
NumberLength += 1
Loop
SelectedNumber &= Mid(TextBox1.Text, CursorPosition, NumberLength + 1)
If IsNumeric(SelectedNumber.Remove(0, 1).Remove(SelectedNumber.Length - 2, 1)) Then
Return SelectedNumber
Else
Return ""
End If
End Function
I put this inside of the textbox click event, and it works. I did not try putting the code in any other events. I assume that the textbox is named: TextBox1.

Answer 2

Here's a quick example showing how to build a "menu" with a LinkLabel:
Public Class Form1
Private menuItems() As String = {"cat", "dog", "fish"}
Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim menu As String = "Selection: " & String.Join(", ", menuItems)
LinkLabel1.Text = menu
LinkLabel1.Links.Clear()
For Each item In menuItems
LinkLabel1.Links.Add(menu.IndexOf(item), item.Length)
Next
End Sub
Private Sub LinkLabel1_LinkClicked(sender As Object, e As LinkLabelLinkClickedEventArgs) Handles LinkLabel1.LinkClicked
Dim i As Integer = LinkLabel1.Links.IndexOf(e.Link)
Label1.Text = menuItems(i)
End Sub
End Class
Output: