Ok, so setting up a dropdownlist box to be populated from a SqlDataSource control is not a big thing - - like so:

<asp: dropdownlist ID="ddlAllegs" RepeatColumns="2" runat="server"
Width="728px" Height="580px" DataSourceID="sdsAllegs"
DataTextField="Allegations" DataValueField="Alleg_ID">
</asp: dropdownlist >

<asp:SqlDataSource ID="sdsAllegs" runat="server"
ConnectionString="<%$ ConnectionStrings:MPEEC %>"
SelectCommand="SELECT[Alleg_ID],[Allegations]FROM [Aux_Allegations_Table]"></asp:SqlDataSource>

BUT now, when I do my Page Load and I want to call sub RetrieveData() where I want to set the dropdown selected item based upon a value retrieved from a table like so :

ddlAllegs.Items.FindByText(myDataReader("Allegatio ns")).Selected = True

BUT - the dropdownlist has not been loaded yet and the application throws and error. Hate to give up my new found favorite control, SqlDataSource, and be forced to go back to the old fashion way of manually populating.
Any Ideas?

Hi there,

You can write your code in the DataBound event of the control, or call MyDropDownList.DataBind() to force it to databind first.

Hope this helps,

Imar

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Imar Spaanjaars
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Author of Beginning ASP.NET 4.5 : in C# and VB, Beginning ASP.NET Web Pages with WebMatrix
and Beginning ASP.NET 4 : in C# and VB.
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Iram

Thanks! That worked and so simple! I have so much to learn. Thanks for the help

Tom