Usual Databinding Question - UNusual Requirements

[Neo Geshel]

Greetings!

I have a rather unusual request about a rather basic need. I need to be
able to bind data to a page, but WITHOUT using a Repeater, DataGrid or
DataList.

Why?

Well, I have some formatting and JavaScript issues that require each and
every form element's ID to remain unchanged. Unfortunately, whenever
data binding occurs within a Repeater, DataList or DataGrid, the form
ID’s are changed to something different (i.e., there is additional stuff
appended to the ID name to allow ASP.NET to track it).

I know I can data bind a single item to a single form element by using
ExecuteScalar() . That is, the following works great if all I want is to
bind the contents of a single database field to a single form element:

Sub EditIntro()
Dim myConn as New
OleDbConnection (ConfigurationS ettings.AppSett ings("strConn") )
Dim myCmd as New OleDbCommand("S ELECT [Comment] FROM [tblIntro]", myConn)
myConn.Open()
ltrlIntro.Text = FormatData(myCm d.ExecuteScalar ())
IntroComment.Te xt = myCmd.ExecuteSc alar()
myConn.Close()
End Sub

In this example, a single database field (for which only one entry, or
row, exists) is bound to both a literal (providing an excellent preview
of the database field’s contents) as well as a form <textarea> (so that
the current contents of the database field can be displayed and any
changes updated).

However, I need to be able to bind multiple database fields of just a
single database entry (or row) to multiple literals and multiple form
fields. Since I will be calling up just one database entry, I do not
want to use a Repeater, DataList or DataGrid, since these are best used
for displaying multiple database entries and will muck up the ID’s that
are used by the form fields.

Are there any online resources that I can be pointed to? Or does anyone
have any ideas?

PS, I would like any solution, if possible, to be applicable to both
ASP.NET 1.1 as well as ASP.NET 2.0. I am building an XHTML 1.1 + CSS 2.1
compliant web app, so I need flexibility.

TIA
...Geshel
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[Tapio Kulmala]

Re: Usual Databinding Question - UNusual Requirements

try this:


Sub EditIntro()
Dim myConn as
New OleDbConnection (ConfigurationS ettings.AppSett ings("strConn") )
Dim myCmd as New OleDbCommand("S ELECT [Comment] FROM [tblIntro]",
myConn)
myConn.Open()

Dim rdr As OleDbDataReader
rdr = myCmd.ExecuteRe ader()
rdr.Read()

ltrlIntro.Text = FormatData(rdr( "Comment"))
IntroComment.Te xt = rdr("Comment")

myConn.Close()
End Sub


Now you can add more columns into your select-statement and use use them
in your program any way you want.



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Tapio Kulmala

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- Groucho Marx
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[Flinky Wisty Pomm]

Re: Usual Databinding Question - UNusual Requirements

I'm the awkward type, so I might try and fix the other problem: your
dependency on an ID. I use classes over unique IDs for CSS, and I've
got a quick and dirty JScript function that takes an id and a tagname
and searches for matching elements, returning the first match.

Is there a similar workaround in your case?