A template column can return anything.  If you place a custom function in that column you can return a checkbox or a simple label at runtime, depending on whatever criteria you specify.

Cheers,
Andrew

Oh my God, you are right!! My only issue now is getting it to recognize my DataBinder statement. It is usually preceded by <%#, but with it being in an IF statement, not sure how to do that.

My IF statement reads

<% IF DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "GuardClosed") = "" Then %>

Thanks for help on this. I have really been pulling my hair out on this one.

lawrence

Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush at the mo, so will get back to you in detail in a couple of days if no-one else does.

Basically, you don't perform the IF statement from within the HTML itself.  From memory you pass a reference of the current row, to a function that you call in your template column.

You evaluate an IF statement in your function, and return your control.

Sorry I can't provide more at the moment, but if you search on google you should find some code references in the meantime.

Cheers,
Andrew

This is the basic jist:

<asp:DataGrid id="YourID" runat="server" AutoGenerateColumns="False">
<Columns>
<asp:TemplateColumn HeaderText="Status">
  <ItemTemplate>
     <%#ShowStatus(Container.DataItem( "online"))%>
  </ItemTemplate>
</asp:TemplateColumn>

Function ShowStatus(val)
  If val = 0 Then
    ShowStatus = "Offline"
  Else
    ShowStatus = "Online"
  End If
End Function

I understand your Function code, but what I need to return is not just two text alternatives. This certainly doesn't work:

Function ShowStatus(val)
      If val = "True" Then
                ShowStatus = <asp:Label ID="lblClosed" Text='Closed' Runat="Server" />
      Else
                  ShowStatus = <asp:CheckBox ID="chkSelect" Runat="Server" />
        End If
End Function

How do I return either a checkbox or a label?

lawrence

You have to create a new control using the .CreateControl() command, wich creates a certain control at a location.

I used it from a code-behind file, but it should also work with regular pages, I guess...

WOW! This was MUCH easier to do in ASP. It just seems that ASP had much better flow from a logic standpoint than ASP.NET does. I could just code straight down and everything worked. Now I'm pulling up functions that have to add different commands, etc. - all just to do a simple If ... Then statement.

Oh well, time to learn something new. Can you give me any examples of .CreateControl() command code? Not sure how to refer to it.

lawrence

Sorry for the short rant. This is my first .NET project. I understand how bad "spaghetti code" is, and that Functions, etc. help make .NET much better. Its just frustrating going through the learning curve.

Still looking for some explanations/samples of using .CreateControl(). Can't find much, even in MSDN articles, that relates to .NET anyway. Any help?

lawrence

Uhhhm, I'm also experimenting, but I thought this is the right way .

The tooltip says: "Forces the creation of the control, including the creation of the handle and any child control's". Still searching, so work in progress