Binding the Initial Value of a DropDownList in Editable Datagrid

[yu217171]

Hi everyone,

I'm having a tedious problem that I'm trying to figure out. I would like to set the initial value of a dropdownlist when the user goes into Edit mode in a datagrid.

I'm trying to access the dropdownlist to set the SelectedIndex in the OnEditCommand event but the dropdownlist doesn't seem to exist yet in this event.

My question is which event would I access in order to set the dropdownlist initially when the user enter into edit mode?

Thanks,

Keith

 

[jzelhart]

Here is how I do it.

<asp:TemplateColumn HeaderText="Expense Type">
<ItemTemplate>
<asp:Label id="lblExpTyp" runat="server" Text='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container, "DataItem.ExpenseType_VC") %>'>
</asp:Label>
</ItemTemplate>
<EditItemTemplate>
<aspropDownList id="cboExpType" runat="server" Width="130px" DataValueField="ExpenseType_ID" DataTextField="ExpenseType_VC" DataSource="<%# GetExpTypeEdit() %>" SelectedIndex='<%# GetExpTypeIndex(Container.DataItem("ExpenseType_ID")) %>'>
</aspropDownList>
</EditItemTemplate>
</asp:TemplateColumn>

Function GetExpTypeEdit() As DataSet
lblError.Text = ""

Try
Dim sb As SQLBean = New SQLBean
ds = sb.getExpType()
Catch ex As Exception
lblError.Text = Trim(lblError.Text & " A problem was found loading the Expense Types for editing. Please try again.")
End Try

Return ds

End Function

Function GetExpTypeIndex(ByVal strID As String) As Integer
Dim i As Integer
Dim dt As DataTable = ds.Tables("Returned")
For i = 0 To dt.Rows.Count - 1
If Int32.Parse(strID) = Int32.Parse(dt.Rows(i)("ExpenseType_ID")) Then
Return i
End If
Next i
End Function

Hope this helps.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Thanks - Jennifer

 

[yu217171]

Hi Jen,

You don't access your controls through the ItemDataBound event? I thought that was the only way of accessing the controls. (when they are created and bound to the datagrid)

Keith

 

[jzelhart]

I think that you can do that as well but it is more work. The only time I have done it in the ItemDataBound event was when the item was in a nested datagrid.

Always more than one...

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Thanks - Jennifer

 

[adamroof]

When you bind the DDL is when you set the value...

ive added items to DDL by adding to code after you close the Dataset...

...
      dropdown.databind()
   objConnection.Close()
   dropdown.items.insert(0, new ListItem("Select An Item")
end sub

Thats where it gets added...
if you want to select an item already in list...

'after databind and dataconn close
'Get rid of any selection
   DropDown.Items(DropDown.SelectedIndex).Selected = False
'Find the item your looking for...
   Dim foundItem As ListItem = Employees.Items.FindByValue(strVariable)
'make it the selected item
  If Not foundItem Is Nothing Then
     foundItem.Selected = True
  End If

 

[adamroof]

oops...
'Employees.Items.FindByValue(strVariable)

should be
dropdown.items

dropdown is the name of the asp:ddl employees was the name of my asp:ddl - trying to shorthand!