Unable to add/edit child elements in Self Referencing Hierarchy

[Chris]

Hey everyone, I have a self referencing hierarchy and I am unable to configure it properly to allow editing or adding records to child nodes. If it is a top level parent both functions work perfecting. However, clicking on either the add or edit command links causes the entire child node to close and disappear. Clicking refresh on another node (but not the master table) cause the rows to reappear, including the edit/add row, but the content of those rows are empty.

I came across this post and followed it's instructions to no avail. It does not seem correct for self referencing hierarchies anyways. The relevant code from my project is below. Thanks in advance!

<telerik:RadAjaxManager ID="RadAjaxManager1" runat="server">
    <AjaxSettings>
        <telerik:AjaxSetting AjaxControlID="TaxonomiesRadGrid">
            <UpdatedControls>
                <telerik:AjaxUpdatedControl ControlID="TaxonomiesRadGrid" />
            </UpdatedControls>
        </telerik:AjaxSetting>
    </AjaxSettings>
</telerik:RadAjaxManager>
<telerik:RadGrid runat="server" ID="TaxonomiesRadGrid" AllowMultiRowSelection="true"
    Skin="WebBlue" AutoGenerateColumns="false" Width="90%" GridLines="None" MasterTableView-DataSourceID="TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource"
    MasterTableView-DataKeyNames="taxonomyItemId, taxonomyParentId" MasterTableView-GroupsDefaultExpanded="true"
    MasterTableView-GridLines="None" MasterTableView-GroupLoadMode="Client" MasterTableView-FilterExpression="taxonomyParentId IS NULL"
    ClientSettings-AllowGroupExpandCollapse="true" OnItemDataBound="TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemDataBound"
    MasterTableView-SelfHierarchySettings-MaximumDepth="100" AllowAutomaticDeletes="true"
    AllowAutomaticInserts="true" AllowAutomaticUpdates="true" OnItemUpdated="TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemUpdated"
    OnItemInserted="TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemInserted" OnItemCreated="TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemCreated"
    OnInsertCommand="TaxonomiesRadGrid_InsertCommand" OnUpdateCommand="TaxonomiesRadGrid_UpdateCommand"
    ShowStatusBar="true" OnDataBound="TaxonomiesRadGrid_DataBound" OnItemCommand="TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemCommand">
    <MasterTableView HierarchyDefaultExpanded="false" HierarchyLoadMode="Client" CommandItemDisplay="Top"
        CommandItemSettings-AddNewRecordText="Add a new Taxonomy Parent" EditMode="InPlace"
        NoMasterRecordsText="No taxonomy items to display. Please select a taxonomy framework from above.">
        <SelfHierarchySettings ParentKeyName="taxonomyParentId" KeyName="taxonomyItemId" />
        <Columns>
            <telerik:GridBoundColumn DataField="taxonomyText" DataType="System.String" HeaderText="Taxonomy Description"
                SortExpression="taxonomyText" UniqueName="taxonomyText">
            </telerik:GridBoundColumn>
            <telerik:GridEditCommandColumn ButtonType="PushButton" ItemStyle-Width="120px" ItemStyle-HorizontalAlign="Right">
            </telerik:GridEditCommandColumn>
            <telerik:GridClientDeleteColumn ButtonType="PushButton" ItemStyle-Width="50px" ItemStyle-BorderWidth="0px"
                ItemStyle-HorizontalAlign="Center" ConfirmText="Are you sure you want to delete this taxonomy item and any items beneath it?">
            </telerik:GridClientDeleteColumn>
        </Columns>
    </MasterTableView>
</telerik:RadGrid>
<asp:SqlDataSource ID="TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource" runat="server" ConnectionString="<%$ ConnectionStrings:PrimarySQLConn %>"
    SelectCommand="GetTaxonomyDetails" SelectCommandType="StoredProcedure" InsertCommand="InsertTaxonomyItem"
    InsertCommandType="StoredProcedure" UpdateCommand="UpdateTaxonomyItem" UpdateCommandType="StoredProcedure"
    OnUpdating="OnUpdating"></asp:SqlDataSource>

Code behind:

private Hashtable _expandedState;
private Hashtable _selectedState;

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (!IsPostBack)
    {
        //reset expanded states
        this._expandedState = null;
        this.Session["_ordersExpandedState"] = null;
    }
}

public void Page_PreRenderComplete(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    HideExpandColumnRecursive(TaxonomiesRadGrid.MasterTableView);
}

#region Click & Command Events

protected void ShowTaxonomyDetailsButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.SelectParameters.Clear();
    TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.SelectParameters.Add("id", TaxonomiesListBox.SelectedValue.ToString());
    TaxonomiesRadGrid.DataBind();
}

#endregion

#region Grid Message

private string gridMessage = null;

private void SetMessage(string message)
{
    gridMessage = message;
}

protected void RadGrid1_DataBound(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(gridMessage))
    {
        DisplayMessage(gridMessage);
    }
}

private void DisplayMessage(string text)
{
    TaxonomiesRadGrid.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl(string.Format("<span style='color:red'>{0}</span>", text)));
}

#endregion

#region TaxonomiesRadGrid Events

protected void TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemInserted(object source, GridInsertedEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Exception != null)
    {
        e.ExceptionHandled = true;
        DisplayMessage(" Taxonomy item cannot be inserted. Reason: " + e.Exception.Message);
    }
    else
    {
        DisplayMessage(" Taxonomy item inserted");
    }
}

protected void TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemUpdated(object source, Telerik.Web.UI.GridUpdatedEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Exception != null)
    {
        e.KeepInEditMode = false;
        e.ExceptionHandled = true;
        DisplayMessage(" Taxonomy item cannot be updated. Reason: " + e.Exception.Message);
    }
    else
    {
        DisplayMessage(" Taxonomy item updated");
    }
}

protected void TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemCreated(object sender, GridItemEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Item is GridHeaderItem && e.Item.OwnerTableView != TaxonomiesRadGrid.MasterTableView)
    {
        e.Item.Style["display"] = "none";
    }
    else if (e.Item is GridCommandItem && e.Item.OwnerTableView != TaxonomiesRadGrid.MasterTableView)
    {
        ((Button)e.Item.Cells[0].FindControl("AddNewRecordButton")).Visible = false;
        ((Button)e.Item.Cells[0].FindControl("RefreshButton")).Visible = false;

        ((LinkButton)e.Item.Cells[0].FindControl("InitInsertButton")).Text = "Add a new taxonomy item to this parent";
    }
    else if (e.Item is GridCommandItem && e.Item.OwnerTableView == TaxonomiesRadGrid.MasterTableView)
    {
        ((Button)e.Item.Cells[0].FindControl("AddNewRecordButton")).Visible = false;
        ((Button)e.Item.Cells[0].FindControl("RefreshButton")).Visible = false;
    }
}

protected void TaxonomiesRadGrid_InsertCommand(object source, GridCommandEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Item.OwnerTableView == TaxonomiesRadGrid.MasterTableView)
    {
        GridDataItem parentItem = (GridDataItem)e.Item.OwnerTableView.ParentItem;
        TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.InsertParameters.Clear();
        TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.InsertParameters.Add("taxonomyId", TaxonomiesListBox.SelectedValue.ToString());
        TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.InsertParameters.Add("parentId", DBNull.Value.ToString());
    }
    else
    {
        GridDataItem parentItem = (GridDataItem)e.Item.OwnerTableView.ParentItem;
        TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.InsertParameters.Clear();
        TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.InsertParameters.Add("taxonomyId", TaxonomiesListBox.SelectedValue.ToString());
        TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.InsertParameters.Add("parentId", parentItem.OwnerTableView.DataKeyValues[parentItem.ItemIndex]["taxonomyParentId"].ToString());
    }
}

protected void TaxonomiesRadGrid_UpdateCommand(object source, GridCommandEventArgs e)
{
    //GridEditableItem editedItem = e.Item as GridEditableItem;
    //TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.UpdateParameters.Clear();
    //TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.UpdateParameters.Add("taxonomyItemId", editedItem.OwnerTableView.DataKeyValues[editedItem.ItemIndex]["taxonomyItemId"].ToString());
    //TaxonomiesRGSqlDataSource.UpdateParameters.Add("taxonomyText", "test");
}

#endregion

public void HideExpandColumnRecursive(GridTableView tableView)
{
    GridItem[] nestedViewItems = tableView.GetItems(GridItemType.NestedView);
    foreach (GridNestedViewItem nestedViewItem in nestedViewItems)
    {
        foreach (GridTableView nestedView in nestedViewItem.NestedTableViews)
        {
            nestedView.Style["border"] = "0";
            Button MyExpandCollapseButton = (Button)nestedView.ParentItem.FindControl("ctl00");
            if (nestedView.Items.Count == 0)
            {
                if (MyExpandCollapseButton != null)
                {
                    MyExpandCollapseButton.Style["visibility"] = "hidden";
                }
                nestedViewItem.Visible = false;
            }
            else
            {
                if (MyExpandCollapseButton != null)
                {
                    MyExpandCollapseButton.Style.Remove("visibility");
                }
            }
            if (nestedView.HasDetailTables)
            {
                HideExpandColumnRecursive(nestedView);
            }
        }
    }
}

#region Diagnostics

protected void OnUpdating(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    EventArgs er = e;
}

#endregion

#region Child Editing

//Save/load expanded states Hash from the session
//this can also be implemented in the ViewState
private Hashtable ExpandedStates
{
    get
    {
        if (this._expandedState == null)
        {
            _expandedState = this.Session["_expandedState"] as Hashtable;
            if (_expandedState == null)
            {
                _expandedState = new Hashtable();
                this.Session["_expandedState"] = _expandedState;
            }
        }

        return this._expandedState;
    }
}

//Clear the state for all expanded children if a parent item is collapsed
private void ClearExpandedChildren(string parentHierarchicalIndex)
{
    string[] indexes = new string[this.ExpandedStates.Keys.Count];
    this.ExpandedStates.Keys.CopyTo(indexes, 0);
    foreach (string index in indexes)
    {
        //all indexes of child items
        if (index.StartsWith(parentHierarchicalIndex + "_") ||
            index.StartsWith(parentHierarchicalIndex + ":"))
        {
            this.ExpandedStates.Remove(index);
        }
    }
}

//Save/load selected states Hash from the session
//this can also be implemented in the ViewState
private Hashtable SelectedStates
{
    get
    {
        if (this._selectedState == null)
        {
            _selectedState = this.Session["_selectedState"] as Hashtable;
            if (_selectedState == null)
            {
                _selectedState = new Hashtable();
                this.Session["_selectedState"] = _selectedState;
            }
        }

        return this._selectedState;
    }
}

protected void TaxonomiesRadGrid_ItemCommand(object source, GridCommandEventArgs e)
{
    //save the expanded/selected state in the session
    if (e.CommandName == RadGrid.ExpandCollapseCommandName)
    {
        //Is the item about to be expanded or collapsed
        if (!e.Item.Expanded)
        {
            //Save its unique index among all the items in the hierarchy
            this.ExpandedStates[e.Item.ItemIndexHierarchical] = true;
        }
        else //collapsed
        {
            this.ExpandedStates.Remove(e.Item.ItemIndexHierarchical);
            this.ClearExpandedChildren(e.Item.ItemIndexHierarchical);
        }
    }
    //Is the item about to be selected
    else if (e.CommandName == RadGrid.SelectCommandName)
    {
        //Save its unique index among all the items in the hierarchy
        this.SelectedStates[e.Item.ItemIndexHierarchical] = true;
    }
    //Is the item about to be deselected
    else if (e.CommandName == RadGrid.DeselectCommandName)
    {
        this.SelectedStates.Remove(e.Item.ItemIndexHierarchical);
    }
}

protected void TaxonomiesRadGrid_DataBound(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //Expand all items using our custom storage
    string[] indexes = new string[this.ExpandedStates.Keys.Count];
    this.ExpandedStates.Keys.CopyTo(indexes, 0);

    ArrayList arr = new ArrayList(indexes);
    //Sort so we can guarantee that a parent item is expanded before any of
    //its children
    arr.Sort();

    foreach (string key in arr)
    {
        bool value = (bool)this.ExpandedStates[key];
        if (value)
        {
            TaxonomiesRadGrid.Items[key].Expanded = true;
        }
    }

    //Select all items using our custom storage
    indexes = new string[this.SelectedStates.Keys.Count];
    this.SelectedStates.Keys.CopyTo(indexes, 0);

    arr = new ArrayList(indexes);
    //Sort to ensure that a parent item is selected before any of its children
    arr.Sort();

    foreach (string key in arr)
    {
        bool value = (bool)this.SelectedStates[key];
        if (value)
        {
            TaxonomiesRadGrid.Items[key].Selected = true;
        }
    }
}

protected void grdRebind_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    TaxonomiesRadGrid.Rebind();
}

#endregion

[Chris]

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

[Chris]

Bump... C'mon Telerik, this seems to be a bug. If it isn't, your documentation is sorely lacking. Please respond with an update. We have many developers who use Telerik here at the Federal Government....

[Iana Tsolova]

Hello Chris,

I am afraid it is a known issue that automatic CRUD operations are not working with self-referencing grid. However, I am attaching a sample project how you could implement manually update, insert and delete operations.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely yours,
Iana
the Telerik team

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[David Limoges]

Hello Iana,

I know this is a rather old post, but I was wondering if you could answer a question on it.  Your example works great except for one small exception in my situation.

In my Database, I have Null values in my parent ID field if it is the root level.  In you example, you have "ParentID = 0" in the filterExpression property.  Once I change the link to my database and set the property to "ParentID IS NULL", i get an error that says "Expression of Type Boolean is Expected".

I have done some playing around with this an find that I can have it set to ParentID is Null if i have the AutoEventWireUP="false".  However, when the autoeventwireup is false, the Grid does not display as a Hierarchy.

Any suggestions for a fix?

Thanks,

[Iana Tsolova]

Hello David,

Try setting the RadGrid EnableLinqExpressions property to false and see if the error persists.
Another option is to modify the FilterExpression as below:

RadGrid1.MasterTableView.FilterExpression = @"it[""ParentID""] = Convert.DBNull";

Additionally, you can refer to this article for more information on RadGrid FilterExpressions.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely yours,
Iana
the Telerik team

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