Any way to show "Please Select" in databound dropdownlist

[Tobe]

I have a WinForms dropdown list in DropDownList Sytle that is bound to a datatable.  I've read several articles in the forums, but found nothing to either let me set the selection to blank after binding, or insert a "Please Select" selection either before or after binding.

I've tried setting the text property and the Null Text property and these don't work either.

Any suggestions?

[Richard Slade]

Hello,

You would need to have the Please Select item in your datasource or, when you have the RadDropDownList in mode

Me.RadDropDownList1.DropDownStyle = Telerik.WinControls.RadDropDownStyle.DropDownList

then simply set

Me.RadDropDownList1.SelectedIndex = -1

Hope that helps
Richard

EDIT// SelectedIndex = -1 will set the selected record to be blank

[Tobe]

I tried that too, it doesn't work either.

The code:

 

 

this.ddlQuestionType.DataSource = question.GetQuestionTypeTable();

 

 

 

this.ddlQuestionType.SelectedIndex = -1;

Where GetQuestionTableType returns a datatable.  When the form loads, the dropdownlist still displays the first item in the datasource.

 

[Richard Slade]

Hello,

Please can you try this. It's just a RadDropDownList on a form.

Dim mydatatable As New DataTable
mydatatable.Columns.Add("Name", Type.GetType("System.String"))
mydatatable.Columns.Add("Id", Type.GetType("System.String"))
Dim myrow As DataRow
myrow = mydatatable.NewRow
myrow("Name") = "Richard"
myrow("Id") = "AB1"
mydatatable.Rows.Add(myrow)
myrow = mydatatable.NewRow
myrow("Name") = "Fred"
myrow("Id") = "AB2"
mydatatable.Rows.Add(myrow)
Me.RadDropDownList1.DataSource = mydatatable
Me.RadDropDownList1.DisplayMember = "Name"
Me.RadDropDownList1.ValueMember = "Id"
Me.RadDropDownList1.DropDownStyle = Telerik.WinControls.RadDropDownStyle.DropDownList
Me.RadDropDownList1.Focus()
Me.RadDropDownList1.SelectedIndex = -1

Hope that helps
Richard

[Julian Benkov]

Hi Tobe,

You can use the solution that Richard provided, but keep in mind that setting the SelectedIndex = -1 must be executed after the binding operation and after filling the Data Adapter of the bound DataTable object in your case.

All the best,
Julian Benkov
the Telerik team