Edit Button in Dynamically created DataList

[Arielle]

Background: I have a generated datalist to display information and I need to add the capability to have a button (Edit button) so that users can change the information. I'm sure once I figure it out I'll smack myself on the head for being so stupid but I feel as though right now I'm chasing my tail and want to see if some of yall can point me in a better direction.

Initiation

 public class GroupDetail : WebPart
  {
//...
    DataList dlViewGroup;
protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
base.CreateChildControls();
      dlViewGroup = new DataList();
      oWeb = getWebFromURL(strOrgSite);
      oOrgChart = getListByName(strOrgList, oWeb);
      if (strGroupCode != string.Empty)
      {
        getGroupInformation(oOrgChart, strGroupCode);
      }
      else if (strDefaultGroupCode != string.Empty)
      {
        getGroupInformation(oOrgChart, strDefaultGroupCode);
      }
      dlViewGroup.HeaderTemplate = new GroupDetailTemplate(ListItemType.Header);
      dlViewGroup.ItemTemplate = new GroupDetailTemplate(ListItemType.Item);
      dlViewGroup.FooterTemplate = new GroupDetailTemplate(ListItemType.Footer);
      dlViewGroup.EditItemTemplate = new GroupDetailTemplate(ListItemType.EditItem);
      dlViewGroup.EditCommand += new DataListCommandEventHandler(dlViewGroup_Edit);
      this.Controls.Add(dlViewGroup);
}
    //User Control Methods
    protected void dlViewGroup_Edit(object sender, DataListCommandEventArgs e)
    {
      dlViewGroup.EditItemIndex = e.Item.ItemIndex;
      BindGroupData();
    }
}
 

Then here is the templat for the GroupDetail DataList

   public void InstantiateIn(System.Web.UI.Control container)
    {
      //Declare Template Items
      PlaceHolder ph = new PlaceHolder();
      Label lblDirective = new Label();
      Label lblSymbol = new Label();
      Label lblFax = new Label();
      Label lblEmail = new Label();
      Label lblDirectory = new Label();
      HyperLink lnkArea = new HyperLink();
      lblDirective.ID = "lblDirective";
      lblSymbol.ID = "lblSymbol";
      lblFax.ID = "lblFax";
      lblEmail.ID = "lblEmail";
      lblDirectory.ID = "lblDirectory";
      lnkArea.ID = "lnkArea";
      lnkArea.Target = "_blank";
 
      //Declare Template Controls
      Button btnEditDept = new Button();
      btnEditDept.ID = "btnEditDept";
      btnEditDept.CommandName = "edit";
      btnEditDept.Text = "Edit Department";     
 
      switch (templateType)
      {
        case ListItemType.Header:
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<table border=\"0\"><tr><td colspan=\"2\" class=\"ms-toolbar\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(btnEditDept);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
          break;
        case ListItemType.Item:
           //Department
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Department:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblDirective);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Symbol
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Office Symbol:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblSymbol);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Fax
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Office Fax:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblFax);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Email
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Office Email:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblEmail);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Staff Directory
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Staff Directory:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblDirectory);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Website
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Website:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lnkArea);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>")); 
 
          ph.DataBinding += new EventHandler(Item_DataBinding);
          break;
        case ListItemType.Footer:
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</table>"));
          break;
        case ListItemType.EditItem:
          //Department
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Department:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblDirective);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Symbol
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Office Symbol:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblSymbol);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Fax
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Office Fax:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblFax);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Email
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Office Email:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblEmail);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Staff Directory
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Staff Directory:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lblDirectory);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          //Office Website
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("<tr><td class=\"ms-formlabel\">"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Website:"));
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td><td>"));
          ph.Controls.Add(lnkArea);
          ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("</td></tr>"));
 
          ph.DataBinding += new EventHandler(Item_DataBinding);
          break;
      }
      container.Controls.Add(ph);
    }
    static void Item_DataBinding(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
    {
      PlaceHolder ph = (PlaceHolder)sender;
      DataListItem dli = (DataListItem)ph.NamingContainer;
      ((Label)ph.FindControl("lblDirective")).Text = getStringFromValue(DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "Title"));
      ((Label)ph.FindControl("lblSymbol")).Text = getStringFromValue(DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "Symbol"));
      ((Label)ph.FindControl("lblFax")).Text = getStringFromValue(DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "Office_x0020_Fax"));
      ((Label)ph.FindControl("lblEmail")).Text = getStringFromValue(DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "Office_x0020_Email"));
      ((Label)ph.FindControl("lblDirectory")).Text = getTextFromNumber(Int32.Parse(getStringFromValue(DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "Staff_x0020_Directory"))));
      ((HyperLink)ph.FindControl("lnkArea")).NavigateUrl = getFormatURL(getStringFromValue(DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "Area")), 0);
      ((HyperLink)ph.FindControl("lnkArea")).Text = getFormatURL(getStringFromValue(DataBinder.Eval(dli.DataItem, "Area")), 1);
    }
 

[Arielle]

I have not found the answer yet but I did get a slightly better explination. Apparently because the controls are created dynamically they are "receated" on postback and therefore it is not holding on to the viewstate.