Referencing and uniquely identifying DropDownLists per row

[CBARS]

Hi

I'm dynamically creating an empty DataTable, with a number of predefined rows. I bind that to a RadGrid control, with one GridDropDownColumn set up. I then make the whole RadGrid editable.

A user will select a value in each of the DropDownLists, and then it will be saved to a database.

However, each DropDownList needs to be bound to a different datasource. How can I uniquely identify each DropDownList?

[Princy]

Hi,

You can get the DataKeyValue for each row on editing and then change the datasource of the dropdown based on the DataKeyValue as shown below.
aspx:

<telerik:RadGrid ID="RadGrid1" runat="server" DataSourceID="SqlDataSource1" GridLines="None" OnItemDataBound="RadGrid1_ItemDataBound" >
 <MasterTableView DataKeyNames="ContactName" DataSourceID="SqlDataSource1">

  <Columns>
   <telerik:GridDropDownColumn DataSourceID="SqlDataSource1" DropDownControlType="DropDownList" HeaderText="Julie" UniqueName="Supplier" ListTextField="SupplierID" ListValueField="SupplierID" DataField="SupplierID">
   </telerik:GridDropDownColumn>
     ....

cs:

protected void RadGrid1_ItemDataBound(object sender, GridItemEventArgs e)
    {

        if (e.Item is GridEditableItem && e.Item.IsInEditMode)
        {
            GridEditableItem editItem=(GridEditableItem)e.Item;
            string strkey = editItem.GetDataKeyValue("ContactName").ToString();
            if (strkey == "Shelley Burke")
            {
                DropDownList ddl = (DropDownList)editItem["Supplier"].Controls[0];
                // Code to bind the combobox
            }
        }
    }

Thanks
Princy.

[CBARS]

Hi

Thanks for the approach... I can change the datasource of each row now... However, when you specify a column of type GridDropDownColumn in the RadGrid, it makes a control of type RadComboBox, not DropDownList.

I've filled them like this :

protected void RadGrid2_ItemDataBound(object sender, GridItemEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Item is GridEditableItem && e.Item.IsInEditMode)
        {
            GridEditableItem editItem = (GridEditableItem)e.Item;
            string strkey = editItem.GetDataKeyValue("Level").ToString();
            switch (strkey)
            {
                case "Level 1":
                    DropDownList ddl = (DropDownList)editItem["colIdentifier"].Controls[0];
                    SqlDataSource sqlds = new SqlDataSource(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["constring"].ToString(), "Select ID, Identifier ...");
                    ddl.DataSource = sqlds;
                    ddl.DataTextField = "Identifier";
                    ddl.DataValueField = "ID";
                    ddl.DataBind();
                    break;
...

None of the RadComboBoxes contain any data. I've checked the query, and it does return data. I've made a RadComboBox outside the RadGrid, and it gets filled with the same code, and works fine. Am I doing something wrong?

[CBARS]

I've narrowed the problem down to the DataBind method... After DataBinding, the RadComboBox's DataSource is null. This doesn't happen with my test RadComboBox outside the RadGrid though...

[CBARS]

Any thoughts?

[Sebastian]

Hi cbars,

Basically, there should be no difference whether you use built-in GridDropDownColumn with RadComboBox editor or MS DropDownList editor in it when changing the items in the relevant column editor dynamically. This topic from the documentation illustrates how this can be done (paragraph 'Customizing the options for GridDropDownColumn on editing').

Furthermore, verify that you are using the latest release 2008.2.1001 of RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX in your project.

Kind regards,
Stephen
the Telerik team

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