Optional display of a control in a GridView cell

[RobertTheProgrammer]

Okay, here another problem I'm having difficulty solving...

I've got a cell in my GridView that I need to have a control optionally displayed. Specifically, I have a cell with a bound variable of type Label. In that same cell, I also want to display a button (unbound). I can do that with something like this:

                   <ItemTemplate> 
                    <asp:Label ID="completed_date" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("completed_date") %>'></asp:Label><br>
                    <asp:Button ID="MarkAsCompletedButton" runat="server" CommandName="MarkAsCompleted" Text="Mark As Completed" />
                   </ItemTemplate>
 

Works great, but I only want to display the button if the "completed_date" label is blank (which, BTW, is stored as a string, not datetime). How do I do that?

Robert

[Frinavale]

Okay, here another problem I'm having difficulty solving...

I've got a cell in my GridView that I need to have a control optionally displayed. Specifically, I have a cell with a bound variable of type Label. In that same cell, I also want to display a button (unbound). I can do that with something like this:

                   <ItemTemplate> 
                    <asp:Label ID="completed_date" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("completed_date") %>'></asp:Label><br>
                    <asp:Button ID="MarkAsCompletedButton" runat="server" CommandName="MarkAsCompleted" Text="Mark As Completed" />
                   </ItemTemplate>
 

Works great, but I only want to display the button if the "completed_date" label is blank (which, BTW, is stored as a string, not datetime). How do I do that?

Robert

Try the same CSS stuff on your button that you did for hiding your index.
It's a bit trickier though....during your RowDataBound event you have to grab the contents of the cell, cast it to a button and then set the CSS style for the button.

Cheers!
-Frinny

[RobertTheProgrammer]

Hmm...

I'm still relatively new to ASP.NET and web programming. Do you mind giving a little more detail about how I go about the task of "cast it to a button and then set the CSS style for the button"? The first part I've got. Thanks.

Robert

[Frinavale]

Hmm...

I'm still relatively new to ASP.NET and web programming. Do you mind giving a little more detail about how I go about the task of "cast it to a button and then set the CSS style for the button"? The first part I've got. Thanks.

Robert

I'm not sure if you're using C# or VB.NET ...but basically in your RowDataBound event handler method for your GridView you would have something like:

VB.Net code:

            Dim theButton As Button = CType(e.Row.FindControl("myButton"), Button) ' this finds the control and casts it into a button...
            If Not theButton Is Nothing Then
                 theButton.style.add("display","none")
                'or set the CSS....like
                'theButton.CssClass = "noShow"
           End If
 

C# code (please note that my C# syntax may not be 100% working...but here's the general idea)

            Button theButton = (Button) e.Row.FindControl("myButton"); // this finds the control and casts it into a button...
            If ( theButton != null)
            {     theButton.style.add("display","none");
                //or set the CSS....like
               //theButton.CssClass = "noShow";
           }
 

-Frinny

[RobertTheProgrammer]

Ah! I get it now. I just didn't understand the terminology.

Many, many thanks for your assistance.

Robert