Loading RadDropDownList in RadGrid Batch Editing Mode

Environment

Product	Version
RadGrid for ASP.NET AJAX / RadDropDownList	Current

Description

In a RadGrid configured for batch editing mode, I need to populate a RadDropDownList using server-side code (.cs file) instead of an asp:SqlDataSource. This scenario is similar to the batch editing demo provided by Telerik.

This KB article also answers the following questions:

• How can I bind a RadDropDownList in a batch-editable RadGrid using C#?
• What are the steps to load a RadDropDownList in a RadGrid's batch edit mode?
• How to use server-side code to populate a dropdown in RadGrid batch editing?

Solution

To bind a RadDropDownList within a RadGrid in batch editing mode from the server-side (.cs file), follow these steps:

1. Define the RadGrid and the RadDropDownList in your ASPX markup. Ensure the RadGrid is configured for batch editing and contains a GridTemplateColumn that hosts the RadDropDownList.

   <telerik:RadGrid RenderMode="Lightweight" ID="RadGrid1" runat="server" AllowAutomaticDeletes="True" AllowAutomaticInserts="True" PageSize="10" OnPreRender="RadGrid1_PreRender" AllowAutomaticUpdates="True" AllowPaging="True" EditMode="Batch" DataSourceID="SqlDataSource1">
       <MasterTableView DataKeyNames="ProductID" DataSourceID="SqlDataSource1" EditMode="Batch">
           <Columns>
               <telerik:GridTemplateColumn HeaderText="Category" UniqueName="CategoryID" DataField="CategoryID">
                   <ItemTemplate>
                       <%# Eval("CategoryName") %>
                   </ItemTemplate>
                   <EditItemTemplate>
                       <telerik:RadDropDownList RenderMode="Lightweight" ID="CategoryIDDropDown" runat="server" DataTextField="CategoryName" DataValueField="CategoryID">
                       </telerik:RadDropDownList>
                   </EditItemTemplate>
               </telerik:GridTemplateColumn>
           </Columns>
       </MasterTableView>
   </telerik:RadGrid>
   

2. Implement the RadGrid1_PreRender event in your code-behind file. Use this event to bind the RadDropDownList with the desired data source.

   protected void RadGrid1_PreRender(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
       GridTableView masterTable = (sender as RadGrid).MasterTableView;
       GridTemplateColumnEditor categoryEditor = masterTable.GetBatchColumnEditor("CategoryID") as GridTemplateColumnEditor;
   
       if (categoryEditor != null)
       {
           RadDropDownList ddlCategory = categoryEditor.ContainerControl.FindControl("CategoryIDDropDown") as RadDropDownList;
   
           if (ddlCategory != null)
           {
               ddlCategory.DataSource = GetCategories();
               ddlCategory.DataTextField = "CategoryName";
               ddlCategory.DataValueField = "CategoryID";
               ddlCategory.DataBind();
           }
       }
   }
   
   private DataTable GetCategories()
   {
       DataTable categoriesTable = new DataTable();
       categoriesTable.Columns.Add("CategoryID", typeof(int));
       categoriesTable.Columns.Add("CategoryName", typeof(string));
       categoriesTable.Rows.Add(1, "Beverages");
       categoriesTable.Rows.Add(2, "Condiments");
       categoriesTable.Rows.Add(3, "Confections");
       categoriesTable.Rows.Add(4, "Dairy Products");
       categoriesTable.Rows.Add(5, "Grains/Cereals");
   
       return categoriesTable;
   }
   

By following the above steps, you can successfully load data into a RadDropDownList within a RadGrid using server-side code during batch editing mode.

See Also

• Telerik Documentation on Batch Editing and Column Editors
• Telerik Forum Post on Batch Editing with DropDownList