Template Column help, please....

[Abby]

I have created a radgrid that functions with edit inplace and updates from an outside button to update an receords that were changed.  
I also would like to use the insert button to be able to add a new record. 
I am running in to a problem with the dropdowns because on an insert there is not a value to 'bind/eval', I need the dropdown to say "select' or something similar.  
Can I combine both items in the way I am trying?  I've attached the aspx from my column.  
Please advise.

                <telerik:GridTemplateColumn  UniqueName="PartNumber" SortExpression="PartNumber" AllowFiltering ="true"
                        HeaderText="Part Number"  ReadOnly="false" ItemStyle-VerticalAlign="Top" Visible="true" >
                             <ItemTemplate>
                           <asp:DropDownList ID="DropPart" runat="server" DataSourceID="dsPartNumbers" DataTextField="PartNumber" 
                                DataValueField="CustomerPartNumberID" SelectedValue='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem,"CustomerPartNumberID") %>'  >
                            </asp:DropDownList>
                            </ItemTemplate>
                              <EditItemTemplate>
                                 <asp:DropDownList ID="EditDropPartNumber" runat="server" DataSourceID="dspartNumbers" DataTextField="PartNumber" AppendDataBoundItems="true"
                                DataValueField="CustomerPartNumberID" SelectedValue='<%# bind("CustomerPartNumberID") %>'>
                                  </asp:DropDownList>
                                  <asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="Validator1" ControlToValidate="EditDropPartNumber" 
                                  ErrorMessage="*Required" runat="server" Display="Dynamic" InitialValue="-- Select --" ForeColor="Red">
                                      </asp:RequiredFieldValidator>
                                </EditItemTemplate>
                    </telerik:GridTemplateColumn>

[Konstantin Dikov]

Hello Abby,

For achieving the desired result, you will have to set the AppendDataBoundItems property of the DropDownList control to true and include an item in the Items collection that will handle the null value coming from the inserted item:

<asp:DropDownList ID="ddlTOC" runat="server" SelectedValue='<%# Bind("TitleOfCourtesy") %>' ..................
    AppendDataBoundItems="True">
    <asp:ListItem Selected="True" Text="Select" Value="">
    </asp:ListItem>
</asp:DropDownList>

Hope this helps.


Regards,
Konstantin Dikov
Telerik