Sorting via NeedDataSource handler

[Brooks]

I handle my sorting and paging explicitly in my entity framework calls from a NeedDataSource handler.

I persist the settings in session, and when I return to a page with a radgrid, I get the previous sort order and page correctly displayed...but I don't see how to highlight the sort column and its header to indicate the sort and sort direction.

I expected I could do so in the ItemDataBound handlers, but it eludes me! (I attempted to use a SortExpression, hoping it would at least trip the column indications even though there is no sorting to be done by it...no luck there either)

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

[Brooks]

I figured it out!

The GridSortExpression.FieldName property is a misnamed...it needs to match the SortExpression of the column in question...not the column DataField and not the column UniqueName.

For instance, to sort on this column:

<telerik:GridBoundColumn UniqueName="UserLastName" SortExpression="LastName,FirstName"
    HeaderAbbr="Last" HeaderText="Last Name" HeaderButtonType="TextButton"  DataField="LastName" />

My NeedDataSource handler does this:

...
else if (_showPersistedPage)
GridSettings gs = Session.UserListSettings;
trg_UserList.DataSource = UberUserView.GetOrderedEntityUserList(_entityId, gs.SortExpression.Split(','), gs.SortOrder, (int)gs.StartRowIndex, (int)gs.PageSize, true);
trg_UserList.CurrentPageIndex = (int)gs.CurrentPageIndex;
trg_UserList.PageSize = (int)gs.PageSize;

GridSortExpression exp = new GridSortExpression();
exp.FieldName = gs.OrderBy;  //OrderBy is "LastName,FirstName"  It was failing when "LastName" or "UserLastName" was used.
exp.SetSortOrder(gs.OrderByDirection);
trg_UserList.MasterTableView.SortExpressions.AddSortExpression(exp);
...

To Telerik: this did not standout in the documentation!