RadGrid esdatasource and dropdownlists - cannot access selected dropdown value when inserting

[evo]

Hi,
I'm relatively new to the Radgrid and EntitySpaces. I know that they work extremely well together but I've been stumped for a few hours today with a problem. I've got a rad grid that is bound to an esDataSource, the datasource has a field that is a lookup value. I can bind the grid to the initial datasource and at this stage insertion and editing works fine. However, when I use a template column to add an dropdown control for the look up field (binding it in the ItemDataBound event handler), I can edit values well but when I insert new values though the lookup values are saved as empty values. I cant seem to grab the lookup dropdown value during the insert event.

Any suggestions would be helpful. Sample code or examples would be appriciated.

Here's my code:

<asp:Panel ID="pnlBreadcrumb" runat="server">
</asp:Panel>

<asp:Label ID="lblMessage" runat="server" Visible="false" Text="No list configuration found" />


<telerik:RadGrid ID="grdLevelValues" runat="server" GridLines="None"
    AllowAutomaticInserts="True" AllowAutomaticUpdates="True"
    DataSourceID="datListValues" AutoGenerateColumns="False"
    onitemcommand="grdLevelValues_ItemCommand"
    onitemdatabound="grdLevelValues_ItemDataBound"
    onitemcreated="grdLevelValues_ItemCreated"
    AllowSorting="True"
    AllowPaging="True"
    PageSize="25"
    >
<HeaderContextMenu EnableAutoScroll="True"></HeaderContextMenu>

<MasterTableView datakeynames="IdBusinessUnit" datasourceid="datListValues" CommandItemDisplay="Top" EditMode="InPlace">
    <Columns>
        <telerik:GridBoundColumn DataField="BusinessUnitName" HeaderText="Business Unit"
            UniqueName="column1">
        </telerik:GridBoundColumn>
        <telerik:GridTemplateColumn UniqueName="State">
            <HeaderTemplate>
                <asp:Label ID="lblStateNameHeader" Text="State Name" runat="server"></asp:Label>
            </HeaderTemplate>
            <ItemTemplate>
                <asp:Label ID="lblStateName" runat="server" Text='<%# Eval("UpToAddressStateItemByIdState.State") %>' />
            </ItemTemplate>
            <EditItemTemplate>
                <asp:DropDownList ID="ddlStateName" runat="server"></asp:DropDownList>
            </EditItemTemplate>
        </telerik:GridTemplateColumn>



        <telerik:GridEditCommandColumn></telerik:GridEditCommandColumn>

    </Columns>

<EditFormSettings>
<EditColumn UniqueName="EditCommandColumn1"></EditColumn>
</EditFormSettings>
</MasterTableView>
</telerik:RadGrid>



<cc1:esDataSource ID="datListValues" runat="server"
    onescreateentity="datListValues_esCreateEntity"
    onesselect="datListValues_esSelect"
    AutoPaging="true"
    AutoSorting="true"/>

code behind:

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
       {
                 }
       protected void grdLevelValues_ItemCommand(object source, GridCommandEventArgs e)
       {
                 }
       protected void grdLevelValues_ItemDataBound(object sender, GridItemEventArgs e)
       {
           if ((e.Item is GridEditableItem) && e.Item.IsInEditMode)
           {

               AddressStateCollection states = new AddressStateCollection();
               states.Query.SelectAll();
               states.Query.Load();
               GridEditableItem gridEditableItem = (GridEditableItem)e.Item;

               DropDownList dropDownList = (DropDownList)gridEditableItem["State"].FindControl("ddlStateName");
               dropDownList.DataSource = states;
               dropDownList.DataTextField = "State";
               dropDownList.DataValueField = "IdState";

               //Find the selected index by assuming that the ddl datasource will maintain the order inwhich its items were added.
               int ddlSelectedIndex =0;
               foreach(AddressStateItem state in states)
               {
                  if ((gridEditableItem.DataItem is GridInsertionObject) == false)
                   {
                       if (state.IdState == System.Convert.ToInt32(((Westpac.VOS.Data.BusinessUnitItem)gridEditableItem.DataItem).IdState))
                       {
                           break;
                       }
                       ddlSelectedIndex ++;
                   }
                   else
                       break;
               }
               dropDownList.SelectedIndex =  ddlSelectedIndex;

               dropDownList.DataBind();
           }
       }
       protected void grdLevelValues_ItemCreated(object sender, GridItemEventArgs e)
       {
           if (e.Item is GridEditableItem && e.Item.IsInEditMode)
           {
               GridEditableItem item = e.Item as GridEditableItem;
               //validation code goes here...
           }
       }
       protected void datListValues_esSelect(object sender, EntitySpaces.Web.esDataSourceSelectEventArgs e)
       {
           BusinessUnitCollection values = new BusinessUnitCollection();
           values.Query.SelectAll();
           values.Query.Load();
           e.Collection = values;

       }
       protected void datListValues_esCreateEntity(object sender, EntitySpaces.Web.esDataSourceCreateEntityEventArgs e)
       {
           BusinessUnitItem entity = new BusinessUnitItem();
           // Insert
           if (e.PrimaryKeys == null) // A new record to be created
           {
               entity.AddNew();
               entity.IdBrand = VosContext.Current.Brand.Id;
               foreach (GridDataItem item in this.grdLevelValues.Items)
               {
                   DropDownList dropDownList = (DropDownList)item["State"].FindControl("ddlStateName");
                   if (dropDownList != null)
                   {
                       entity.IdState = System.Convert.ToInt32(dropDownList.SelectedValue);
                   }
               }
           }
           else // Update
           {
               entity.LoadByPrimaryKey((int)e.PrimaryKeys[0]);

               foreach (GridDataItem item in this.grdLevelValues.Items)
               {

                    DropDownList dropDownList = (DropDownList)item["State"].FindControl("ddlStateName");

                    if (dropDownList != null)
                    {
                        entity.IdState = System.Convert.ToInt32(dropDownList.SelectedValue);
                    }

               }

           }
           e.Entity = entity;
       }

[evo]

It took me some time but I've sorted it out. All I was really missing was a way to reference the template controls dropdown list.

Here's the solution :

(DropDownList)this.grdLevelValues.MasterTableView.GetInsertItem()["State"].Controls[1]).SelectedValue

Here's where I used it in code.

protected void datListValues_esCreateEntity(object sender, EntitySpaces.Web.esDataSourceCreateEntityEventArgs e)

     {

         BusinessUnitItem entity = new BusinessUnitItem();

         // Insert

         if (e.PrimaryKeys == null) // A new record to be created

         {

             entity.AddNew();

             entity.IdBrand = VosContext.Current.Brand.Id;

             
             entity.IdState = System.Convert.ToInt32(((DropDownList)this.grdLevelValues.MasterTableView.GetInsertItem()["State"].Controls[1]).SelectedValue);

         }

         else // Update

         {                

             entity.LoadByPrimaryKey((int)e.PrimaryKeys[0]);

Hope this helps someone esle.