Hi,

i want to populate a dropdownlist with code-behind. The dropdownlist is wrapped into an editItemTemplate of a gridview like this:

<asp:TemplateField HeaderText="min" SortExpression="min">
<EditItemTemplate>
<asp:DropDownList ID="DropDownList2" runat="server" SelectedValue='<%# Bind("min") %>'>
</asp:DropDownList>
</EditItemTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<asp:Label ID="Label2" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("min") %>'></asp:Label>
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:TemplateField>

The code-behind (not finished) is:
Protected Sub DropDownList2_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
        Dim dd As DropDownList
        Dim z As ListItem
        Dim i As Integer
        dd = ?? (sender ...) 'how to refer to drpdownlist2?
        'sender =
        If Not Page.IsPostBack Then
            For i = 0 To 200
                z = New ListItem(i, i)
                dd.Items.Add(z)
            Next
        End If
    End Sub

My problem is: how to reference dropdownlist2?
I can't use this: dd = gridview1.FindControl("dropdownlist2")
because the dropdownlist is actually not in the gridview, but in one of its cells.
I think i should use the parameter 'sender', but how?
Thanks for help
H.

Usually I would do this by creating a handler for the gridview ItemDataBound event. Then you can use code like this:

If e.Row.RowType == DataRow Then 'need to filter out the header/footer/pager rows
   Dim ddl As DropDownList = CType(e.Row.FindControl("DropDownList2"), DropDownList)
   'Populate the DDL using the "ddl" variable
End If

The ItemDataBound handler will be called for each item in the gridview. "e" is the gridview event args. Then you can find the control in the row (e.Row) by it's ID and you'll be able to manipulate each instance of the DDL for each grid row.

-Peter

Hi, thanks for replying.

I tried your way, but there is then a problem with the selectedvalue:
"'DropDownList2' has a SelectedValue which is invalid because it does not exist in the list of items."
Parameter name: value
I tried with both "GridView1_RowDataBound" and "GridView1_DataBound".
I think those events come to early, before the listitem is populated.

Instead of using the databinding syntax to set the selected value, set it in the RowDataBound event handler after you databind the DDL. That way you create the list of items, then set the selected one.

-Peter

Ok, thanks
i'll try