Web Forms DataList
ASP.NET Web Forms - DataList control
The DataList control, similar to the Repeater control, is used to display the data bound to the control. Duplicate list of items. However, the DataList control adds a table to the data items by default.
Bind DataSet to DataList control
The DataList control, similar to the Repeater control, is used to display a repeated list of items bound to the control. However, the DataList control adds a table to the data items by default. The DataList control can be bound to a database table, XML file, or other list of items. Here we will demonstrate how to bind an XML file to a DataList control.
In our example, we will use the following XML file ("cdcatalog.xml"):
<catalog>
<cd>
<title>Empire Burlesque</title>
<artist>Bob Dylan</artist>
<country>USA</country>
<company>Columbia</company>
<price>10.90</price>
<year>1985</year>
</cd>
<cd>
<title>Hide your heart</title>
<artist>Bonnie Tyler</artist>
<country>UK</country>
<company>CBS Records</company>
<price>9.90</price>
<year>1988</year>
</cd>
<cd>
<title>Greatest Hits</title>
<artist>Dolly Parton</artist>
<country>USA</country>
<company>RCA</company>
<price>9.90</price>
<year>1982</year>
</cd>
<cd>
<title>Still got the blues</title>
<artist>Gary Moore</artist>
<country>UK</country>
<company>Virgin records</company>
<price>10.20</price>
<year>1990</year>
</cd>
<cd>
<title>Eros</title>
<artist>Eros Ramazzotti</artist>
<country>EU</country>
<company>BMG</company>
<price>9.90</price>
<year>1997</year>
</cd>
</catalog>
View this XML file: cdcatalog.xml
First, import the "System.Data" namespace. We need this namespace to work with DataSet objects. Include the following directive at the top of the .aspx page:
Next, for XML File creates a DataSet and loads this XML file into the DataSet when the page is first loaded:
sub Page_Load
if Not Page.IsPostBack then
dim mycdcatalog=New DataSet
mycdcatalog.ReadXml(MapPath("cdcatalog.xml"))
end if
end sub
Then we create a DataList control in the .aspx page. The content in the <HeaderTemplate> element is rendered first and appears only once in the output, while the content in the <ItemTemplate> element is repeated for each "record" in the DataSet, and finally, the content in the <FooterTemplate> element The content of appears only once in the output:
<body>
<form runat="server">
< asp:DataList id="cdcatalog" runat="server">
<HeaderTemplate>
...
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
...
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
...
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:DataList>
</form>
</body>
</html>
Then we add the script to create the DataSet and bind the mycdcatalog DataSet to DataList control. Then Populate the DataList control with a <HeaderTemplate> that contains the header, an <ItemTemplate> that contains the data items to be displayed, and a <FooterTemplate> that contains the text. Please note that you can set the DataList's gridlines property to "both" to display table borders:
Example
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Data" %>
<script runat="server">
sub Page_Load
if Not Page.IsPostBack then
dim mycdcatalog=New DataSet
mycdcatalog.ReadXml(MapPath("cdcatalog.xml"))
cdcatalog.DataSource=mycdcatalog
cdcatalog.DataBind()
end if
end sub
</script>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<form runat="server">
<asp:DataList
id="cdcatalog"
gridlines="Both"
runat="server">
<HeaderTemplate>
My CD Catalog
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
"<%#Container.DataItem("title")%>" of <%#Container.DataItem("artist")%> - $<%#Container.DataItem("price")%>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
© Hege Refsnes
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:DataList>
</form>
</body>
</html>Running Example»
Click the "Run Example" button to view the online example
Use styles
You can also add styles to the DataList control to make the output more fancy:
Instance
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Data" %>
<script runat="server">
sub Page_Load
if Not Page.IsPostBack then
dim mycdcatalog=New DataSet
mycdcatalog.ReadXml(MapPath("cdcatalog.xml"))
cdcatalog.DataSource=mycdcatalog
cdcatalog.DataBind()
end if
end sub
</script>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<form runat="server">
<asp:DataList id="cdcatalog"
runat="server"
cellpadding="2"
cellspacing="2"
borderstyle="inset"
backcolor="#e8e8e8"
width="100%"
headerstyle-font-name="Verdana"
headerstyle-font-size="12pt"
headerstyle-horizontalalign="center"
headerstyle-font-bold="True"
itemstyle-backcolor="#778899"
itemstyle-forecolor="#ffffff"
footerstyle-font-size="9pt"
footerstyle-font-italic="True">
<HeaderTemplate>
My CD Catalog
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
"<%#Container.DataItem("title")%>" of <%#Container.DataItem("artist")%> - $<%#Container.DataItem("price")%>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
© Hege Refsnes
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:DataList>
</form>
</body>
</html>Run instance»
Click the "Run instance" button to view the online instance
Using <AlternatingItemTemplate>
You can add an <AlternatingItemTemplate> element after the <ItemTemplate> element to describe the appearance of alternating rows in the output. You can add styles to the data in the <AlternatingItemTemplate> area inside the DataList control:
Example
<%@ Import Namespace="System.Data" %>
<script runat="server">
sub Page_Load
if Not Page.IsPostBack then
dim mycdcatalog=New DataSet
mycdcatalog.ReadXml(MapPath("cdcatalog.xml"))
cdcatalog.DataSource=mycdcatalog
cdcatalog.DataBind()
end if
end sub
</script>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<form runat="server">
<asp:DataList id="cdcatalog"
runat="server"
cellpadding="2"
cellspacing="2"
borderstyle="inset"
backcolor="#e8e8e8"
width="100%"
headerstyle-font-name="Verdana"
headerstyle-font-size="12pt"
headerstyle-horizontalalign="center"
headerstyle-font-bold="True"
itemstyle-backcolor="#778899"
itemstyle-forecolor="#ffffff"
alternatingitemstyle-backcolor="#e8e8e8"
alternatingitemstyle-forecolor="#000000"
footerstyle-font-size="9pt"
footerstyle-font-italic="True">
<HeaderTemplate>
My CD Catalog
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
"<%#Container.DataItem("title")%>" of <%#Container.DataItem("artist")%> - $<%#Container.DataItem("price")%>
</ItemTemplate>
<AlternatingItemTemplate>
"<%#Container.DataItem("title")%>" of <%#Container.DataItem("artist")%> - $<%#Container.DataItem("price")%>
</AlternatingItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
© Hege Refsnes
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:DataList>
</form>
</body>
</html>Run Example»
Click the "Run Instance" button to view the online instance
