GridDropDownColumn & Binding to Non-foreign Key Columns

[Richard Weeks]

Hello,

Imagine two tables, each with two columns.

Operations
 UserId
 StartedBy

 

Users
 Id
 UserName

Operations.UserId is a FK to Users.Id. All columns are integers.

This works:

<telerik:GridDropDownColumn
    DataField="UserId"
    DataSourceID="UsersDataSource"
    HeaderText="UserId"
    ListTextField="UserName"
    ListValueField="Id"
    UniqueName="UserId">
</telerik:GridDropDownColumn>

 

This doesn't:

<telerik:GridDropDownColumn
    DataField="StartedBy"
    DataSourceID="UsersDataSource"
    HeaderText="Started By"
    ListTextField="UserName"
    ListValueField="Id"
    UniqueName="StartedBy">
</telerik:GridDropDownColumn>

Here's the DataSource:

<asp:EntityDataSource
    ID="UsersDataSource"
    runat="server"
    ConnectionString="name=MyEntities"
    DefaultContainerName="MyEntities"
    EnableFlattening="False"
    EntitySetName="Users"
    EntityTypeFilter="User"
    OrderBy="it.[UserName]">
</asp:EntityDataSource>

I know the UserId works because it is a foreign key but the second "StartedBy" is just a normal Int32 column in the Db that I have no control over (i.e. no relationship is or will be defined).

Normally, I'd just shrug and roll some code-behind but I'd much rather solve this in the declarative manner.

What is the simplest way I can get my StartedBy dropdown to bind via the value recorded in Operations.StartedBy?

 
Richard

[Mira]

Hello Richard,

I am afraid that the desired functionality cannot be achieved only declaratively.
Please use the approach from the Customize/Configure GridDropDownColumn  help topic in order to access and configure the datasource of the drop-down in the code-behind.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Mira
the Telerik team

[Richard Weeks]

Thanks for that, I'll roll the code behind.

May I humbly request the ability to label columns as pseudo foreign keys be added as a feature?

Richard

[Mira]

Hello Richard,

I have forwarded your suggestion to our developers team and they will consider implementing in future versions of RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX.

Kind regards,
Mira
the Telerik team