asked on

Checkboxes not reintializing

Hi Experts,
I have an ASP.NET app that I am building for user security in my current intranet. The problem Im having is I have a panel that dynamical grabs a list which I represent with a list of checkboxes. It populates the value of the checkboxes checked or unchecked correctly. The problem is when change some check value hit submit, I noticed that the db was not updated correctly and when the page came back I still had all of the "modified" changes on the page. This is odd as I requery and rebuild the textboxes upon and update. So in a nutshell I make changes hit post it is supposed to update the db and after updating it call the methods that rebuild the control and check or uncheck accordingly, but its not working. I have stepped through the code and I watch it setting up the controls correctly but renders the old page??

Here is a snippet to give you an idea :

Private Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
If IsPostBack Then
doProcedures()
Else
pnSecurity.Style.Add("display", "none")
indyDiv.Style.Add("display", "none")
End If
End Sub

Private Sub doProcedures()
Dim rv As New CRIdal.retVal
Dim btn As String
Dim employeeID As String = rv.returnedVal(Request, "lbEmployees")
Dim empInfo As String()
Dim security As String()
Dim grpPolicy As String = rv.returnedVal(Request, "grpPolicy")
Dim scView As Boolean

btn = rv.whatButton(Request)
Call intialize()

Select Case btn
Case "btnSaveSecurity"
'Dim userid As Integer = rv.returnedVal(Request, CInt(txtUserID.Text))
Call getItemizedSecuritySelected()
Call loadUserInfo()
Me.Controls.Add(New LiteralControl("<script>indyDivDisplay('indyDiv', 'pnSecurity', 1);openSCSecDiv('cbSCView', 'pnSecurityBreakout')</script>"))
end select
End sub

Private Function getItemizedSecurity(ByVal userID As String) As String()
Dim sqlState, errText As String
Dim reader As SqlDataReader
Dim sqlConn As New SqlConnection
Dim qdb As New CRIdal.queryDBase
Dim itemizedSecurity As String()

sqlState = "SELECT readOnly, scView, fiscalView, irTracking, scAll, officeAll, programsAll FROM mydb WHERE userID = " & userID

Try
If qdb.queryDbase(sqlState, sqlConn, reader, False, errText, ) Then
If reader.Read Then
ReDim Preserve itemizedSecurity(6)
itemizedSecurity(0) = reader.GetBoolean(0) 'ReadOnly
itemizedSecurity(1) = reader.GetBoolean(1) 'scView
itemizedSecurity(2) = reader.GetBoolean(2) 'fiscalView
itemizedSecurity(3) = reader.GetBoolean(3) 'IRTracking
itemizedSecurity(4) = reader.GetBoolean(4) 'scALL
itemizedSecurity(5) = reader.GetBoolean(5) 'officeALL
itemizedSecurity(6) = reader.GetBoolean(6) 'programsAll
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
Return itemizedSecurity
Else
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
End If
Return Nothing
Else
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
End If
Catch ex As Exception
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
End Try
End Function

Private Sub loadUserInfo()
Dim btn As String
Dim employeeID As String
Dim empInfo As String()
Dim security As String()
Dim grpPolicy As String
Dim scView As Boolean
Dim rv As New CRIdal.retVal

employeeID = rv.returnedVal(Request, "lbEmployees")
Call getEmployeeInfo(employeeID, empInfo)
If Not empInfo Is Nothing Then
Call loadControls(empInfo, scView)
security = getItemizedSecurity(empInfo(0)) 'Call procedure if individual security.
Call loadSCItemizedPanels(security)
Else
lblErrMessage.Text = "Employee found but is not registered. Please register employee and try again."
End If
End Sub
Private Sub loadSCSelection(Optional ByVal checkExisting As Boolean = False)
Dim sqlState, errText As String
Dim reader As SqlDataReader
Dim sqlConn As New SqlConnection
Dim qdb As New CRIdal.queryDBase
Dim i, j As Integer
Dim holdArray As String
Dim allCheck, allEditCheck As Boolean
Dim chkBox As CheckBox
Dim chkBox2 As CheckBox
Dim sc As String(,)

sqlState = "SELECT coordinator_last + ', ' + coordinator_first, coordinator_id FROM mydb WHERE status = 'active' order by coordinator_last"
Try
If qdb.queryDbase(sqlState, sqlConn, reader, False, errText, ) Then
If reader.HasRows Then
With pnSCSelection.Controls
.Add(New LiteralControl("<br><br>Service Coordinator Caseload<br><br>"))
.Add(New LiteralControl("<table border=1 width=90%><tr><td align=center>Edit</td>" & _
"<td align=center>Read</td>" & _
"<td align=center>SC Name</td></tr>"))
End With
'check here for all if checkExisting if yes set edit all flag
'////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
'chkBox2.Attributes.Add("onclick", "selectAll('" & chkBox2.ID & "', " & holdArray & ")")
While reader.Read
ReDim Preserve sc(1, j)
sc(0, j) = reader.GetString(0) 'SCName
sc(1, j) = reader.GetInt32(1) 'SCID
If holdArray = "" Then holdArray = sc(1, j) _
Else holdArray += ", " & sc(1, j)
j += 1
End While
If allExists("editAll") Then
allEditCheck = True
chkBox2 = createCheckBoxControl("cbEdit", "", -1, -1, True, holdArray)
Else
chkBox2 = createCheckBoxControl("cbEdit", "", -1, -1, False, holdArray)
End If
'-->
'check here for all if checkExisting if yes set all sc flag
'///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
If allExists("scAll") Then
allCheck = True
chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", -1, -1, True, holdArray)
Else
chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", -1, -1, False, holdArray)
End If
With pnSCSelection.Controls
.Add(New LiteralControl("<tr><td align=center>"))
.Add(chkBox2)
.Add(New LiteralControl("</td><td align=center>"))
.Add(chkBox)
.Add(New LiteralControl("</td><td>  "))
.Add(New LiteralControl("All SC"))
.Add(New LiteralControl("</td></tr>"))
'.Add(New LiteralControl("<br>"))
'-->
End With
Dim test As String = sc.GetUpperBound(1)
While i <= sc.GetUpperBound(1)
'check here for sc security here if checkExisting
'////////////////////////////////////////////////
Dim scName As String = sc(0, i)
Dim scid As Integer = sc(1, i)

''check for edit
If Not allEditCheck Then
'Enters here if AllEditCheck=false
If secRowCheck("scSecFilter", scid, "scid", "editRights") Then
'Check if row exists for edit in scSecFilter
chkBox2 = createCheckBoxControl("cbEdit", "", scid, i, True)
chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", scid, i, True)
Else
'Edit Flag doesnt exist or row doesnt exist check read flag
chkBox2 = createCheckBoxControl("cbEdit", "", scid, i)
If Not allCheck Then
If secRowCheck("scSecFilter", scid, "scid", "readRights") Then
chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", scid, i, True)
Else
chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", scid, i)
End If
Else
chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", scid, i)
End If
End If
Else
chkBox2 = createCheckBoxControl("cbEdit", "", scid, i, True)
'If Not allCheck Then
' If secRowCheck("scSecFilter", scid, "scid", "readRights") Then
' chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", scid, i, True)
' Else
' chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", scid, i)
' End If
'Else
chkBox = createCheckBoxControl("cbSC", "", scid, i, True)
'End If
End If
With pnSCSelection.Controls
.Add(New LiteralControl("<tr><td align=center>"))
.Add(chkBox2)
.Add(New LiteralControl("</td><td align=center>"))
.Add(chkBox)
.Add(New LiteralControl("</td><td>  "))
.Add(New LiteralControl(scName))
.Add(New LiteralControl("</td></tr>"))
i += 1
End With
End While
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
pnSCSelection.Controls.Add(New LiteralControl("</table>"))
Else
Response.Write("No Rows Returned:Line#827")
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
End If
Else
Response.Write("No Similar Records: Null condition ln:831")
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
End If
Catch ex As Exception
qdb.closeConnections(reader, sqlConn)
End Try
End Sub

I left some functions out but point being ... I step through the same code that is executed on load after i udate the db but the same control values are returned NOT the correct values from the DB? Is there a way to implicitly dispose of the panels that contain the checkboxes ....

A work around would be to response redirect it but Id rather not because that will require passing around more "ids" and I want to avoid if possible. Thanks in advance

strickdd

make sure you are not checking the checkboxes EVERY postback. Only populate them from the DB if not Page.IsPostback. The viewstate will maintain if they are checked or not. However you still need to create them each postback.

Justin_W

1. Try disabling ViewState on the panel containing the Dynamic controls.

2. Make sure that you are assigning the ID property for all of the non-Literal Controls that you are dynamically creating and adding to the panel(s).

3. Are you using AJAX controls on this page?

dbedoo

ASKER

It assisns a "check" based on the db value... I have verified that .. I step through the code line by line after the update and it works correctly meaning it assigns .checked = true & .checked = false where its supposed to but renders the previous state of the page. And in case your wondering did verify the values saved in the db against what is returned after the post.

Right now I purposely broke the query so it does not update but enabled it to run the same procedure as if it did work to see if it would rerender the original state. But no dice

dbedoo

ASKER

Trying to disable viewstae now .....

Ids are ok ... I have verified

No Ajax

dbedoo

ASKER

this is the event I use to build the chkboxes

Private Function createCheckBoxControl(ByVal controlName As String, _
ByVal label As String, _
ByVal itemID As Integer, _
ByVal index As Integer, _
Optional ByVal checked As Boolean = False, _
Optional ByVal array As String = Nothing) As CheckBox
Dim chk As New CheckBox
With chk
.ID = controlName & itemID
.Text = label
If checked Then .Checked = True
Select Case controlName
Case "cbSC"
If Not array Is Nothing Then
.Attributes.Add("onclick", "selectAll('" & controlName & "', '" & array & "')")
End If
Case "cbEdit"
If Not array Is Nothing Then
.Attributes.Add("onclick", "selectAll('" & controlName & "', '" & array & "');selectAll('cbSC', '" & array & "')")
End If
Case Else
'do nothing
End Select
End With
Return chk
End Function

dbedoo

ASKER

i added
.EnableViewState = False
to the code above

still not working

dbedoo

ASKER

oops you said panel
my bad let me try that

dbedoo

ASKER

tried EnableViewState = False on the panel still not working

Justin_W

Try Adding:
.EnableViewState = False

for both the CheckBoxes and the panel(s) they're contained within.

If that doesn't work, try adding the CBs to a new panel (with a different ID) during each "refresh". You could do this by dynamically creating a new Panel with a unique ID each time you rebuild the list, and also calling Controls.Clear() on the container that you place these panels in before adding a new panel. That should ensure that only the new panel exists and may fix the issue if disabling the ViewState doesn't.

Justin_W

Also, try (temporarily) appending additional debug info to the "Text" property, so that you can verify whether the rebuilding of the CBs is affecting the display at all.

dbedoo

ASKER

k i tried adding .EnableViewState = False to chkboxes and panels and I do a pnSCSelection.Controls.Clear() before goin into the literals section

still not working ....

trying to append debug text now...

dbedoo

ASKER

ok I appended now() to the end of the .text and after rerender it reflects that it is being re-created

I know Im not crazy here I step through the code and I see it assigning .checked = true and the it renders without a check...

I really appreciate your patience and suggestions

Justin_W

1. Just to be double-sure, append the Checked variable (t/f) to the text so that you can double-check the text against the checked state.

2. If possible, try creating a Subclass of the CheckBox class, and override (or shadow) the Checked property so that you can place a BreakPoint inside the Setter. Then use this subclass instead of the regular class in your code, and debug the process so that you can monitor all of the changes to the Checked property's state throughout the page lifecycle. That should definitively tell you whether it is a server-side or client-side issue.

Justin_W

Also, did you try using different IDs on each rebuild like I suggested above? That would result in different ClientIDs which should bypass any client-side issues if that were the cause.

dbedoo

ASKER

Ok I appended the boolean check variable to the .text property and sure enough

there where trues next to the "unchecked" check boxes so that is a start in the right direction...

As far as creating a subclass of the checkbox class do you mean shadowing the .net checkbox class? I would like to try this but Im not sure exactly how to do this (sounds like an excellent idea though)

the ids thing one problem is the ids map to the row ids in the db ... should change the ids after the post? or pre post.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Justin_W

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dbedoo

ASKER

I changed the ids after the post by creating a hidden text box and setting it after post and then in the createcheckbox function I append garbage on the end of the id if the hidden field was set and it worked like a charm.... Im a little confused though .... How do I get around this ... changing these ids will add cumbersome overhead ... I will need a conditional parsing mechanism for every post... (flip flop routine) i wanted to avoid that... Is there any other way around it?

Justin_W

This leads me to suspect that the browser was at fault because the controls had the same ClientID throughout.

Solution:
Keep the hidden variable, but don't add garbage. Instead, start the variable at 0, and increment it as necessary, then append/include the value of the variable in the IDs. That way, you'll still be able to re-generate/derive the IDs at any time as long as you know the DB Record ID and the current increment value. It shouldn't add too much complexity to your page if you handle it right.

Justin_W

P.S. I think I actually ran into a similar problem with .NET CheckBoxes a few years ago, where sometimes they wouldn't re-render properly in certain very specific situations. I never did find a workaround other than to avoid it, so I wouldn't spend _too_ much time trying to find a "real" or "better" solution if I were you. Although, if you do, please post it. :)

dbedoo

ASKER

Thanks for all of the advice, You were a great help.

I will also still try the shadow contruct too for future debugging. I never thought of doing that.... You dont by chance have a link with an example of that do you?

I wish I could offer more than 500 pts It is well deserved.

Peace

Justin_W

You're welcome. I'm glad that I was able to help.

> You dont by chance have a link with an example of that do you?
Sorry, no. I've never seen any reference to that technique. I came up with it on my own.