Data Binding Overview
The Telerik UI for ASP.NET Core ComboBox provides flexible data binding capabilities that allow you to populate the dropdown list with suggestions from various data sources. You can choose the appropriate binding method based on your application architecture and data requirements.
The default casing for JSON strings in ASP.NET Core is camelCase. The Telerik UI components that are data-bound depend on PascalCase formatted response from the server. If the JSON serialization isn't configured properly, the UI components will display wrong data. To find out how to configure the application to return the data in Pascal-case, refer to the JSON Serialization article.
Data Binding Approaches
The ComboBox supports the following data binding methods:
Local Data Binding
Bind the ComboBox to a local dataset by passing an arbitrary model directly within the boundaries of the component. This approach is optimal for:
- Small to medium-sized datasets that can be loaded in memory.
- Filtering the data on the client.
- Scenarios where all data is available at render time.
For detailed implementation instructions, see Local Data Binding documentation.
Remote Data Binding
Connect the ComboBox to a remote endpoint using AJAX requests. This enables:
- Dynamic data loading and filtering as the user types.
- Real-time data updates from external sources.
- Improved performance with large datasets through server-side filtering or data virtualization.
For more information and examples, refer to the Remote Data Binding documentation.
Custom DataSource Binding
Implement custom data binding scenarios with full control over the data retrieval process:
- Custom data processing logic based on the remote server structure and requirements.
- Custom data operations such as filtering and grouping.
- Connection to OData or other external services.
For more information, refer to the Custom DataSource Binding documentation.
Model Binding
Bind the ComboBox to model properties using strongly-typed expressions (for example, ComboBoxFor(m => m.PropertyName)) for form scenarios that require server-side validation, model state management, and seamless integration with Data Annotation attributes.
For more information, refer to the Model Binding documentation.
Data Binding in Razor Pages
You can seamlessly integrate the ComboBox component into Razor Pages applications. All the data binding approaches described above can be configured within Razor Pages scenarios.
The component supports both HtmlHelper and TagHelper syntax, and allows you to send the anti-forgery token when connecting to remote endpoints to ensure secure data operations.
For detailed implementation instructions, refer to the ComboBox in Razor Pages article.
Key Considerations
When selecting a data binding approach for the ComboBox, evaluate the following factors:
- Performance—Local data binding offers faster initial rendering, while remote data binding provides better performance with large datasets through on-demand loading.
- Data volume—Large datasets are better handled with remote data binding and server-side filtering, while small to medium datasets work well with local data binding.
- Real-time requirements—Remote data binding is essential for scenarios requiring live data updates and dynamic content refresh.
- Form integration—Model binding is optimal when working with strongly-typed forms that require validation and model state management.
- Custom scenarios—Custom DataSource binding provides full control for complex data operations, OData integration, or specialized server architectures.
- Maintenance—Local data binding is simpler for static data, while remote data binding offers more flexibility for evolving data requirements.