Sort GridTemplateColumn

[Jonathan]

Hi guys,

I need help with sorting a customised GridTemplateColumn. The column snippet is shown below:

<telerik:GridTemplateColumn UniqueName="NameCommandColumn" AllowFiltering="False"
        ItemStyle-Width="150" HeaderStyle-Width="150" ShowSortIcon="true" >
            <HeaderTemplate>Name</HeaderTemplate>
            <ItemTemplate>
                <asp:HyperLink ID="hlnkContactName" runat="server"></asp:HyperLink>
                <asp:Label ID="lblContactName" runat="server"></asp:Label>
            </ItemTemplate>
        </telerik:GridTemplateColumn>

The column is used to display names either as a hyperlink or a simple label depending on the user's access rights. The main problem I have is that the values for these controls are generated at RadGrid's Item_Created event where it concatenates 2 strings (i.e. GivenNames & Surname) and binds the final output to the controls. See snippet below:

protected void RadGrid1_ItemCreated(object sender, Telerik.Web.UI.GridItemEventArgs e)

{

if (e.Item is GridDataItem)

{

//Check the user's permissions. if the user has edit permissions then allow edit.

if (SecurityHelper.IsAllowedTo("Modify","PhoneList"))

{

#region Instantiate Name link

HyperLink hlnkContactName = (HyperLink)e.Item.FindControl("hlnkContactName");

if (hlnkContactName != null)

{

Label lblContactName = (Label)e.Item.FindControl("lblContactName");

if (lblContactName != null)

lblContactName.Visible = false;

hlnkContactName.Attributes["href"] = "#";

hlnkContactName.Attributes["onclick"] = string.Format("return ShowForm('{0}')",

Constants.URL_PHONELISTEDITOR + "?" + Constants.QUERYSTRING_PARTYID + "=" + e.Item.OwnerTableView.DataKeyValues[e.Item.ItemIndex]["PartyId"].ToString());

hlnkContactName.Text = e.Item.OwnerTableView.DataKeyValues[e.Item.ItemIndex]["GivenNames"].ToString() +" "+

e.Item.OwnerTableView.DataKeyValues[e.Item.ItemIndex]["Surname"].ToString();

}

#endregion

}

else

{

#region Instantiate Name Label

Label lblContactName = (Label)e.Item.FindControl("lblContactName");

if (lblContactName != null)

{

HyperLink hlnkContactName = (HyperLink)e.Item.FindControl("hlnkContactName");

if (hlnkContactName != null)

hlnkContactName.Visible = false;

lblContactName.Visible = true;

lblContactName.Text = e.Item.OwnerTableView.DataKeyValues[e.Item.ItemIndex]["GivenNames"].ToString() +" "+

e.Item.OwnerTableView.DataKeyValues[e.Item.ItemIndex]["Surname"].ToString();

}

#endregion

}           }

}

What I would like to do, is to be able to sort the column by its final output. but I'm not sure how to go about doing it. Please help!

Regards

Jonathan

[Shinu]

Hi Jonathan,

Instead of concatenating the two values in the ItemCreated event you can append those two fields(GivenNames and Surname) and return it as a single field in the Select query of the DataBase and bind the TemplateColumn with that field. Also set the SortExpression of the column.

Select Query:

"SELECT GivenNames, Surname, GivenNames + ' ' + Surname  AS NameCommandColumn FROM TableName"

ASPX:

<telerik:GridTemplateColumn UniqueName="NameCommandColumn" DataField="NameCommandColumn" HeaderText="NameCommandColumn"
                        SortExpression="NameCommandColumn" AllowFiltering="False"
        ItemStyle-Width="150" HeaderStyle-Width="150" ShowSortIcon="true" >
            <HeaderTemplate>Name</HeaderTemplate>
            <ItemTemplate>
                <asp:HyperLink ID="hlnkContactName" runat="server"></asp:HyperLink>
                <asp:Label ID="lblContactName" runat="server"></asp:Label>
            </ItemTemplate>
        </telerik:GridTemplateColumn>

Thanks
Shinu