Binding to DataTable
RadPanelBar can be bound to DataSet, DataTable, and DataView. The panel hierarchy can be established with an ID->ParentID relation.
Creating the data table in code
The following example illustrates how to bind to a DataTable that is created in code. The same type of logic can easily be applied to a DataView instead:
- Create a function that dynamically creates the data source (in this case, a DataTable):
private DataTable CreateTestTable()
{
DataTable table = new DataTable();
table.Columns.Add("ID");
table.Columns.Add("ParentID");
table.Columns.Add("Text");
table.Columns.Add("URL");
table.Columns.Add("Tooltip");
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "1", null, "root 1", "root1.aspx", "root 1 tooltip" });
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "2", null, "root 2", "root2.aspx", "root 1 tooltip" });
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "3", "1", "child 1.1", "child11.aspx", "child 1.1 tooltip" });
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "4", "1", "child 1.2", "child12.aspx", "child 1.2 tooltip" });
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "5", "1", "child 1.3", "child13.aspx", "child 1.3 tooltip" });
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "6", "5", "child 1.3.1", "child131.aspx", "child 1.3.1 tooltip" });
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "7", "5", "child 1.3.2", "child132.aspx", "child 1.3.2 tooltip" });
table.Rows.Add(new string[] { "8", "5", "child 1.3.3", "child133.aspx", "child 1.3.3 tooltip" });
return table;
}
Private Function CreateTestTable() As DataTable
Dim table As New DataTable()
table.Columns.Add("ID")
table.Columns.Add("ParentID")
table.Columns.Add("Text")
table.Columns.Add("URL")
table.Columns.Add("Tooltip")
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"1", Nothing, "root 1", "root1.aspx", "root 1 tooltip"})
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"2", Nothing, "root 2", "root2.aspx", "root 1 tooltip"})
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"3", "1", "child 1.1", "child11.aspx", "child 1.1 tooltip"})
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"4", "1", "child 1.2", "child12.aspx", "child 1.2 tooltip"})
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"5", "1", "child 1.3", "child13.aspx", "child 1.3 tooltip"})
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"6", "5", "child 1.3.1", "child131.aspx", "child 1.3.1 tooltip"})
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"7", "5", "child 1.3.2", "child132.aspx", "child 1.3.2 tooltip"})
table.Rows.Add(New String() {"8", "5", "child 1.3.3", "child133.aspx", "child 1.3.3 tooltip"})
Return table
End Function
- Set the DataSource property of the panel to the DataTable. At the same time, use the RadPanelBar properties to specify the fields to use for the Text, Value, and NavigateUrl properties of panel items. Indicate how to establish the item hierarchy by giving values to the DataFieldID and DataFieldParentID properties. Finally, call the DataBind method to bind the panel:
protected void Page_Load( object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (!IsPostBack)
{
RadPanelBar1.DataSource = CreateTestTable();
//Establish hierarchy:
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldID = "ID";
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldParentID = "ParentID";
//Set Text, Value, and NavigateUrl:
RadPanelBar1.DataTextField = "Text";
RadPanelBar1.DataValueField = "ID";
RadPanelBar1.DataNavigateUrlField = "URL";
RadPanelBar1.DataBind();
}
}
Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
If Not IsPostBack Then
RadPanelBar1.DataSource = CreateTestTable()
'Establish hierarchy:
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldID = "ID"
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldParentID = "ParentID"
'Set Text, Value, and NavigateUrl:
RadPanelBar1.DataTextField = "Text"
RadPanelBar1.DataValueField = "ID"
RadPanelBar1.DataNavigateUrlField = "URL"
RadPanelBar1.DataBind()
End If
End Sub
- Create an ItemDataBound event handler to set additional properties on the panel items:
protected void RadPanelBar1_ItemDataBound( object sender, Telerik.Web.UI.RadPanelBarEventArgs e)
{
//Set additional properties. ToolTip for example:
DataRowView row = (DataRowView)e.Item.DataItem;
e.Item.ToolTip = row["Tooltip" ].ToString();
}
Protected Sub RadPanelBar1_ItemDataBound(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As Telerik.Web.UI.RadPanelBarEventArgs) Handles RadPanelBar1.ItemDataBound
'Set additional properties. ToolTip for example:
Dim row As DataRowView = CType(e.Item.DataItem, DataRowView)
e.Item.ToolTip = row("Tooltip").ToString()
End Sub 'RadPanelBar1_ItemDataBound
Fetching the data from a separate database
You can use a DataSet when the data comes from a separate database. Just use a data adapter component to assign the data from the database to a DataSet:
When binding to a DataSet component, you can set the DataMember property to identify the DataTable within the DataSet to which the panel bar should be bound.
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (!Page.IsPostBack)
{
OleDbDataAdapter adapter = new OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT * FROM Table1", "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" + Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/db1.mdb" ));
DataSet links = new DataSet();
adapter.Fill(links);
RadPanelBar1.DataSource = links;
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldID = "ID";
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldParentID = "ParentID";
RadPanelBar1.DataTextField = "Text";
RadPanelBar1.DataNavigateUrlField = "URL";
RadPanelBar1.DataBind();
}
}
Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
If Not Page.IsPostBack Then
Dim adapter As New OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT * FROM Table1", "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" + Server.MapPath("~/App_Data/db1.mdb"))
Dim links As New DataSet()
adapter.Fill(links)
RadPanelBar1.DataSource = links
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldID = "ID"
RadPanelBar1.DataFieldParentID = "ParentID"
RadPanelBar1.DataTextField = "Text"
RadPanelBar1.DataNavigateUrlField = "URL"
RadPanelBar1.DataBind()
End If
End Sub 'Page_Load
The ParentID of the root items must be null (nothing). If for some reason the data source comes without null values for the ParentID column, you must either fix the data by writing code to modify ParentID values in the DataTable, or use a query that returns the expected value (null). For example: SELECT ID, Text, IF(ParentID = 0, NULL, ParentID) FROM tblData