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How do I build a datalist inside a repeater?

I have a series of tables that I need to display. I want to put the table name as a label that can be linked to from the top of the page. An image with the basic idea is attached.

I thought I could bind each table to a datalist and display each datalist inside a repeater control but I am having a lot of difficulty figuring this one out.

I have tried constructing a template but I don't know how to get my table into the template. (The template is included below.)

Any advice would be extremely welcome.

public class ClientListTemplate : System.Web.UI.ITemplate
    {
        #region Variables

        ListItemType _templateType;

        #endregion

        #region Constructors

        /// <summary>
        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="ClientListTemplate"/> class.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="type">The type.</param>
        public ClientListTemplate(ListItemType type)
        {
            _templateType = type;
        }

        #endregion

        #region Methods

        /// <summary>
        /// Instantiates the template
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="container">The container.</param>
        public void InstantiateIn(Control container)
        {
            PlaceHolder ph = new PlaceHolder();
            HyperLink hl = new HyperLink();
            hl.ID = "hlClient";
            ph.Controls.Add(hl);

            container.Controls.Add(ph);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Handles the DataBinding event of the Item control.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="sender">The source of the event.</param>
        /// <param name="e">The <see cref="System.EventArgs"/> instance containing the event data.</param>
        static void Item_DataBinding(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            PlaceHolder ph = (PlaceHolder)sender;
            DataListItem dli = (DataListItem)ph.NamingContainer;
            string linkText = (string)DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "ClientName");
            string link = "clientPage.aspx?clientID=" + (string)DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "ClientID");
            ((HyperLink)ph.FindControl("hlClient")).Text = linkText;
            ((HyperLink)ph.FindControl("hlClient")).NavigateUrl = link;
        }

        #endregion
    }
</script>

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12-16-2009-4-08-23-PM.png

tovvenki

hey,
What do you mean by "I don't know how to get my table into the template. "
can you give us more info.

You can also refer to this article on implementing the ITemplate interface
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163780.aspx

Thanks and regards,
Venki

paclaiborne

ASKER

Yeah, sorry the remark about getting the table into the template is not very clear.

The datalist is inside the repeater itemtemplate and I do not know how to access the datatable i want to use as the datasource. When I try to set it in the code behind visual studio cannot find the datalist (I guess because it's not created until runtime?). So how do I set the datasource or the template I want to use on a control that is already in another controls itemtemplate?

I hope that's a little clearer. Thanks for your time.

<asp:Repeater ID="rptClients" runat="server">
                                        <ItemTemplate>
                                            <asp:DataList ID="dlClients" runat="server">                                                
                                            </asp:DataList>
                                        </ItemTemplate>
                                    </asp:Repeater>

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tovvenki

so you want to set datatable to the datalist that is within the repeater control.
Am I correct

Thanks and regards,
Venki

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tovvenki

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paclaiborne

ASKER

Yes, I want to set the datatable to datalist that is within the repeater.

I think I have already tried the repeater.FindControl to set the datalist datasource but I'll try again (I've tried so many things I can't remember them all and I'm sure I probably screwed up a couple because of that confusion).

paclaiborne

ASKER

The repeater.FindControl method does not find the datalist. When I run the page the datalist "dl" is null.

DataList dl = (DataList)rptList1.FindControl("dlClients");
dl.DataSource = dt;

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paclaiborne

ASKER

I think i may have confused the issue here. The repeater control is bound to a list of tables
List<datatable> tableList
so
rptList1.datasource = tablelist;
rptList1.databind();

I have to stop through the tablelist to get each table to bind the datalist and I sure this is my problem. I have been trying to do this in Page_Load but that is pretty obviously not where I should be doing it.

Is there something like the rowdatabound event in a gridview that I can use in the repeater for this?

paclaiborne

ASKER

Okay, apparently I don't think things through sufficiently. The repeater has an event OnItemDataBound, much like the onrowdatabound event in a gridview. To set the datatable as the datasource for the datlist simply implement this event and then do something like the code below.

Thanks for the help Venki.

protected void rptList1_ItemDataBound(object sender, RepeaterItemEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.Item)
        {
            DataList dl = (DataList)e.Item.FindControl("dlClients");
            dl.DataSource = ClientTableList[e.Item.ItemIndex];
            dl.DataBind();
        }
    }

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