Data manipulation before binding

[nagar]

I'm using data binding to display the values of a dataset in a form.
Normally I associate the Text property of the UI element to a field of
the dataset.

For a specific field, I need to do the following:

I fill a combobox with custom objects that basically have two
properties (value which is stored in the dataset and description which
is retrieved from the value using a custom algorithm)

1. the dataset field is a string (the value)
2. In the combobox, I need to select an item based on the value of the
dataset (after having appropriately converted from string to int).

How can I do that? Should I use a TypeConverter? How?

Thanks.
Andrea

 

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

Andrea,

Are these values properties of the same object/datatable? If so, just
set the DisplayMember and ValueMember to the appropriate properties and you
should be able to access the currently selected value through the
SelectedValue property.

 

[nagar]

Thanks for your reply Nicholas.
Actually, the combobox doesn't have to show a list of values gathered
from the database.

I need to show a list of installed browsers and I fill the combobox
with the description of the browsers I get looking into the registry.

In my DB, in each record, I have saved the name of the executable, for
example iexplore.exe or firefox.exe.

I retrieve the name of the browser executable and from that I need to
select the appropriate element in the combobox.
The combobox contains a custom object, with two properties, the name
and the description of the browser.

I don't know if I can bind the data directly or it would be easier to
create a column in the DB containing, for example, the index of the
element to be selected in the combobox according to the value. The
only problem with this would be synchronizing the data.

Thanks.
Andrea

 

[Linda Liu[MSFT]]

Hi Andrea,

I need to show a list of installed browsers and I fill the combobox with the description
of the browsers I get looking into the registry.

Based on my understanding, you have a list of objects containing the name
and description of the installed browsers and you fill a ComboBox with this
list.

In my DB, in each record, I have saved the name of the executable, for example
iexplore.exe or firefox.exe.

Based on my undertanding, you have a DataTable with one field containing
the name of the installed browsers and you'd like to bind the ComboBox to
this DataTable.

If I'm off base, please feel free to let me know.

I suggest that you bind the ComboBox to the above list by setting the
DataSource property of the ComboBox to the list and the DisplayMember
property to the description property and the ValueMember property to the
name property.

Then you bind the SelectedValue property of the ComboBox to the field
containing the name of the installed browsers within the DataTable.

If you have any question, please feel free to let me know.

Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[Linda Liu[MSFT]]

Hi Andrea,

How about the problem now?

If you have any question, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you for using our MSDN Managed Newsgroup Support Service!

Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

 

[nagar]

Thanks for the reply Linda.
I managed to fix the problem binding the value to a textbox and
handling the textchanged event to correctly select the item in the
combobox.