Selecting a dropdownlist's initial value

Question

I am trying to make the dropdownlist I have already created inside of the edit page of a formview start on the value previously selected from the sql database for the current user.

So far I have the code to populate the drop down list working correctly:

protected void ddlSelect_Init(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["ReinstatementCS"].ConnectionString);
    SqlCommand myCommand = new SqlCommand("SELECT Prefix, Number, ClassSection, Location, StartTime, EndTime, ClassDay, Prefix + Number  + ', Section: ' + CAST(ClassSection AS VarChar) +  ', Location: ' + Location + ', Start Time: ' + StartTime + ', End Time: ' + EndTime + ', Days: ' + ClassDay + ', Credits: ' + CAST(ClassCredit AS VarChar) AS PN, Capacity, GPAReqAbove1, GPAReqBelow1, CreditReqAbove30, CreditReqBelow30, ClassCredit, IsTransfer, SLN FROM Classes");
    myCommand.Connection = con;
    SqlDataAdapter da = new SqlDataAdapter(myCommand);
    DataTable dt = new DataTable();
    da.Fill(dt);

    DropDownList ddlSelect = FVStudentClass.FindControl("ddlSelect") as DropDownList;
    ddlSelect.DataSource = dt;
    ddlSelect.DataTextField = "PN";
    ddlSelect.DataValueField = "SLN";
    ddlSelect.DataBind();

    con.Close();
}

Where SLN is the unique value for each item in the dropdownlist and PN is the background information for each item in the dropdownlist. I want the item that is highlighted to be the PN that corresponds to what that specific user already has stored in the database. The problem is that when I try to have that value selected I am using:

 protected void FVStudentClass_ModeChanging(object sender, FormViewCommandEventArgs e)
    {
        if (FVStudentClass.CurrentMode != FormViewMode.Edit)
            return;
        SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["ReinstatementCS"].ConnectionString);
        SqlCommand myCommand = new SqlCommand("SELECT Prefix + Number  + ', Section: ' + CAST(ClassSection AS VarChar) +  ', Location: ' + Location + ', Start Time: ' + StartTime + ', End Time: ' + EndTime + ', Days: ' + ClassDay + ', Credits: ' + CAST(ClassCredit AS VarChar) AS PN, SLN FROM Classes JOIN StudentClass on SLN = SCClass WHERE SCWSUID = " + Request.QueryString["ALWSUID"]);
        myCommand.Connection = con;
        SqlDataAdapter da = new SqlDataAdapter(myCommand);
        DataTable dt = new DataTable();
        da.Fill(dt);
        DropDownList ddlSelect = new DropDownList();
        ddlSelect = FVStudentClass.FindControl("ddlSelect") as DropDownList;
        if (ddlSelect != null)
        {
            ddlSelect.DataSource = dt;
            ddlSelect.Items.FindByText(dt.Rows[0]["PN"].ToString()).Selected = true;
        }
        con.Close();
    }

but I'm still stuck because the dropdownlist does not start out with the saved value being selected. Do you know how to fix this? Am I using the wrong command (Should I use something besides ModeChanging)? Thanks!

Answer 1

Try implementing the logic to select the DropDownList item on the FormView DataBound event, the ModeChanging event happens before the mode is actually changed.

Answer 2

You should be able to just set ddlSelect.SelectedValue to the value you want the dropdown to select.

ddlSelect.SelectedValue = dt.Rows[0]["PN"].ToString();