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Display Data in Textbox - in a single column

Hello,

Code: ASP.NET; C# , MS SQL 2005

I have a TextBox setup with multiline code below:

<asp:TextBox ID="CategoryListBox" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("Categories") %>' TextMode="MultiLine" BorderStyle="None" BorderWidth="0px" ReadOnly="True" Rows="20" Font-Names="Verdana" Font-Size="Small" Width="300px"></asp:TextBox>

I have data in a MS SQL datadase column formatted as this example:

XYZ Name, color blue, XL
WRX Name, Color red, M
RTZ Name, collar blue, SM

I have a form that takes the data above and puts it in a single database cell and is now formatted like this (note ; between entries):

XYZ Name, color blue, XL; WRX Name, Color red, M; WRX Name, Color red, M

Now the question&

I need the TextBox above to display the items from the database cell like this:

XYZ Name, color blue, XL
WRX Name, Color red, M
RTZ Name, collar blue, SM

It should list the items in a single column. Somehow I should be able to designate in the code when it sees ; to move to the next list, display the data until the contents of the cell are displayed.

Thanks for your help!!

Cyberzones

ASKER

note the separation of each item is a semicolon

dkloeck

do you mean something like this?

say inputString = "XYZ Name, color blue, XL; WRX Name, Color red, M; WRX Name, Color red, M";

string[] rows = inputString.Split(';');
foreach(string row in rows)
{
myTextBox.Text = row + "\r\n";
}

dkloeck

string[] rows = inputString.Split(';');
should be
string[] rows = inputString.Split(new char[]{';'});

I guess

Cyberzones

ASKER

Let me clarify&

There is not input string. The textbox is databound to a field in a table/database.

This page is displaying company information selected by the user.

So when the page loads, I need the data to be displayed as indicated above.

This code obviously gives me an inputString error:

void Page_Load()
{
string[] rows = inputString.Split(new char[] { ';' });
foreach (string row in rows)
{
CategoryTextBox.Text = row + "\r\n";
}

}

So what do you think?

samtran0331

try:

                            <asp:TextBox ID="CategoryListBox" runat="server" BorderStyle="None" BorderWidth="0px"
                                Font-Names="Verdana" Font-Size="Small" ReadOnly="True" Rows="20" Text='<%# Eval("Categories").ToString.Replace(";",Environment.NewLine) %>'
                                TextMode="MultiLine" Width="300px"></asp:TextBox>

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Cyberzones

ASKER

Hi samtran0331, Thanks for your help.

I tried your code but it is giving the following error:

'object.ToString()' is a 'method', which is not valid in the given context

samtran0331

did you use Eval instead of Bind? I tested that before I posted...

samtran0331

hang on a bit, was testing in a VB project, let me fire up my c# test project

Cyberzones

ASKER

I took all of your textbox code and replaced mine.

samtran0331

I ended up having to do it in code....not sure what type of data control you're using, but the sample below uses a gridview:

<%@ Page Language="C#" %>
 
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
 
<script runat="server">
 
    protected void GridView1_RowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow)
        {
            TextBox tb = (TextBox)e.Row.FindControl("CategoryListBox");
            tb.Text = tb.Text.Replace(";", Environment.NewLine);
        } 
    }
</script>
 
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head id="Head1" runat="server">
    <title>Untitled Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <form id="form1" runat="server">
        <div>
            <asp:SqlDataSource ID="SqlDataSource1" runat="server" ConnectionString="<%$ ConnectionStrings:NorthwindConnectionString %>"
                SelectCommand="SELECT 'XYZ Name, color blue, XL; WRX Name, Color red, M; WRX Name, Color red, M' AS Categories
 FROM [Customers]"></asp:SqlDataSource>
            <asp:GridView ID="GridView1" runat="server" AutoGenerateColumns="False" DataSourceID="SqlDataSource1"
                OnRowDataBound="GridView1_RowDataBound">
                <Columns>
                    <asp:TemplateField>
                        <ItemTemplate>
                            <asp:TextBox ID="CategoryListBox" runat="server" BorderStyle="None" BorderWidth="0px"
                                Font-Names="Verdana" Font-Size="Small" ReadOnly="True" Rows="20" Text='<%# Bind("Categories") %>'
                                TextMode="MultiLine" Width="300px"></asp:TextBox>
                        </ItemTemplate>
                    </asp:TemplateField>
                </Columns>
            </asp:GridView>
        </div>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

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samtran0331

If there is always going to be a space after the semi-colon, a quick way to line up each line is if you "replace" using "; "

but the key to this is just replacing a semi-colon with Environment.NewLine

    protected void GridView1_RowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow)
        {
            TextBox tb = (TextBox)e.Row.FindControl("CategoryListBox");
            tb.Text = tb.Text.Replace("; ", Environment.NewLine);
        } 
    }

Open in new window

Cyberzones

ASKER

I have a Form and I am displaying the textbox in the ItemTemplate.

I am trying to replace the grid specific code with the form code but I cannot find the definition for 'Row'

samtran0331

You mean a formview control?

Cyberzones

ASKER

Yes, in a FormView control.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

samtran0331

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Cyberzones

ASKER

Great! Got it working!

Here is what I had to change to get it to work:

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
TextBox tb = (TextBox)FormView1.Row.FindControl("CategoryListBox");
tb.Text = tb.Text.Replace(";", Environment.NewLine);
}

Thanks for all of your help samtran0331!

Cyberzones

ASKER

samtran0331 is a great help! Thanks!!