Value before data source read is null?

[Steve]

I have a drop down list using remote data with autoBind set to false.  I can set the initial value and text for the drop down using the value and text properties just fine:

ddlBuilding = $("#ddlBuilding").kendoDropDownList({
    width: 400,
    height: 250,
    dataTextField: "Description",
    dataValueField: "Code",
    value: myBuilding.Code,
    text: myBuilding.Description,
    optionLabel: {
        Description: "",
        Code: ""
    },
    dataSource: {
        transport: {
            read: {
                dataType: 'json',
                url: myServiceUrl
            }
        }
    },
    autoBind: false
}).data("kendoDropDownList");

My issue is that the control does not seem to have a value until the data source is read.  Before the data source is read, $("#ddlBuilding").val() returns NULL and ddlBuilding.value() returns undefined.  Once a user clicks the drop down and the data source is loaded, both of these statements return the proper values.

If a user needs to make changes on a form to other fields, but not to this drop down, how am I to know the proper value if no selection is a valid choice?  Is there a way to tell if the data source for the control has been read or not?

[Kiril Nikolov]

Hi Steve,

In order to see if the widget is bound and data is loaded you can check the dataSource data() method that will return either empty array if the widget is not bound, or an array with items if the data is loaded:

$("#dropdownlist").getKendoDropDownList().dataSource.data()

Regards,
Kiril Nikolov
Telerik