display items inside a session variable inside a repeater?

Question

I am trying to get the items stored in a sessions variable into a repeater for users to see. However, I am not entirely sure how to do it (I'm new to session variables). Basically, when users enter in quantities for items on once page the hit submit, they are taken to an "order summary" page, which will display what they plan to purchase. I have successfully set up a session variable to contain the sku and quantity of each product the user selects, but I do not know how to get the information out.

I've stored the information in the session variable as [sku],[quantity];[sku],[quantity];[sku],[quantity] and so on. I figure I must do a split or something based on the commas and semicolons but I am not sure how to do so with a session variable.

The code for the product listing page that contains the information to be stored in the session variable:

public partial class GojoptproductlistSublayout : System.Web.UI.UserControl
{
    private void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if(!Page.IsPostBack)
        {
            Item CurrentItem = Sitecore.Context.Item;

            Item HomeItem = ScHelper.FindAncestor(CurrentItem, "gojoMarket");

            if (HomeItem != null)
            {
                Item ProductGroup = HomeItem.Axes.SelectSingleItem(@"child::*[@@templatename='gojoMarketOfficeBuildigProductMap']/*[@@templatename='gojoProductList']");

                if (ProductGroup != null)
                {
                    Item[] LocationList = ProductGroup.Axes.SelectItems(@"child::*[@@templatename='gojoProductLocation' and @Active = '1']");
                    if (LocationList != null)
                    {
                        DataSet ds = new DataSet();
                        DataTable locations = ds.Tables.Add("locations");

                        locations.Columns.Add("LocationName", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                        locations.Columns.Add("LocationID", Type.GetType("System.String"));

                        foreach (Item LocationItem in LocationList)
                        {
                            DataRow dr = locations.NewRow();
                            dr["LocationName"] = LocationItem.Fields["Header"].Value;
                            dr["LocationID"] = LocationItem.ID.ToString();
                            locations.Rows.Add(dr);
                        }

                        locationRepeater.DataSource = ds;
                        locationRepeater.DataMember = "locations";
                        locationRepeater.DataBind();
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

    protected void SetInner(object sender, RepeaterItemEventArgs e)
    {
        if ((e.Item.ItemType != ListItemType.Footer) & (e.Item.ItemType != ListItemType.Header))
        {
            Label refID = (Label)e.Item.FindControl("refID");
            Label test = (Label)e.Item.FindControl("test");
            Repeater areaRepeater = (Repeater)e.Item.FindControl("areaRepeater");

            Database db = Sitecore.Context.Database;
            Item LocationAreaItem = db.Items[refID.Text];

            if (LocationAreaItem != null)
            {
                Item[] AreaList = LocationAreaItem.Axes.SelectItems(@"child::*[@@templatename='gojoProductLocationArea' and @Active = '1']");

                if (AreaList != null)
                {
                    DataSet dset = new DataSet();
                    DataTable areas = dset.Tables.Add("areas");

                    areas.Columns.Add("AreaName", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("Sku", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("ProductName", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("masterSku", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("masterName", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("Size", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("SkuID", Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("AreaID",Type.GetType("System.String"));
                    areas.Columns.Add("productID", Type.GetType("System.String"));

                    foreach (Item AreaItem in AreaList)
                    {
                        DataRow drow = areas.NewRow();

                        drow["AreaName"] = AreaItem.Fields["Header"].Value;
                        drow["AreaID"] = AreaItem.ID.ToString();

                        areas.Rows.Add(drow);

                        Item[] SkuList = AreaItem.Axes.SelectItems(@"child::*[(@@templatename='gojoPTRefill' or @@templatename = 'gojoPTAccessories' or  @@templatename = 'gojoPTDispenser' or @@templatename = 'gojoPTSelfDispensed') and @Active = '1']");

                        foreach (Item ChildItem in SkuList)
                        {
                            Item MarketProduct = db.Items[ChildItem.Fields["Reference SKU"].Value];
                            drow["productID"] = ChildItem.ID.ToString();

                            if (MarketProduct != null)
                            {
                                Item MasterProduct = db.Items[MarketProduct.Fields["Master Product"].Value];
                                if (MasterProduct != null)
                                {
                                    DataRow newRow = areas.NewRow();

                                    if(MasterProduct.TemplateName == "gojoSKUSelfDispensed" || MasterProduct.TemplateName == "gojoSKURefill")
                                    {
                                        newRow["Size"] = MasterProduct.Fields["Size"].Value;
                                    }
                                    else
                                    {
                                        newRow["Size"] = "-";
                                    }

                                    newRow["Sku"] = MasterProduct.Fields["SKU"].Value;
                                    newRow["productID"] = MasterProduct.ID.ToString();

                                    Item MasterProductName = db.Items[MasterProduct.Fields["Complete Product Name"].Value];

                                    if (MasterProductName != null)
                                    {
                                        newRow["ProductName"] = MasterProductName.Fields["Complete Name"].Value;

                                    }
                                    areas.Rows.Add(newRow);
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                    areaRepeater.DataSource = dset;
                    areaRepeater.DataMember = "areas";
                    areaRepeater.DataBind();
                }

            }
        }
    }

    protected bool checkQtys(ref int ItemCnt, ref  ArrayList LinesToOrder)
    {
        Repeater locationRepeater = (Repeater)FindControl("locationRepeater");

        bool validQtys = true;
        string productID = "";
        int qty;
        qtyErrorMsg.Text = "";
        qtyErrorMsgTop.Text = "";
        foreach (RepeaterItem repItem in locationRepeater.Items)
        {
            if (repItem != null)
            {
                Repeater areaRepeater = (Repeater)repItem.FindControl("areaRepeater");
                if (areaRepeater != null)
                {
                    foreach (RepeaterItem skuItm in areaRepeater.Items)
                    {

                        if (skuItm != null)
                        {
                            Label SkuID = (Label)skuItm.FindControl("SkuID");
                            Label qtyID = (Label)skuItm.FindControl("qtyID");

                            PlaceHolder inner = (PlaceHolder)skuItm.FindControl("ProductTable");

                                if (inner != null)
                                {
                                    foreach (Control ct in inner.Controls)
                                    {
                                        if (ct is TextBox)
                                        {
                                            TextBox lineQty = (TextBox)ct;
                                            Label prodID = (Label)inner.FindControl("productID");

                                            if (lineQty.Text != "")
                                            {
                                                try
                                                {
                                                    int.Parse(lineQty.Text);
                                                    productID = prodID.Text;
                                                    qty = int.Parse(lineQty.Text);

                                                    if (qty > 0)
                                                    {
                                                        noItemMsg.Visible = false;
                                                        noItemMsgTop.Visible = false;
                                                        ItemCnt++; //only count items with valid qty values
                                                        LinesToOrder.Add(new LineItem(productID, qty));
                                                    }
                                                    else
                                                    {//Qty is 0 or less error
                                                        validQtys = false;
                                                        qtyErrorMsg.Text = "Quantity must be a number<br />";
                                                        qtyErrorMsgTop.Text = "Quantity must be a number<br />";
                                                    }

                                                }
                                                catch
                                                {//NaN - display error msg
                                                    validQtys = false;
                                                    qtyErrorMsg.Text = "Quantity must be a number<br />";
                                                    qtyErrorMsgTop.Text = "Quantity must be a number<br />";
                                                }
                                            }

                                        }

                                    }

                                }
                        }

                    }
                }

            }
        }
        return validQtys;
    }

    class LineItem
    {//This class will store the product information
        public string SKUID;
        public int Qty;

        public LineItem(string InSKUID, int InQty)
        {
            this.SKUID = InSKUID;
            this.Qty = InQty;
        }
    }

    protected void orderSubmit(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        int ItemCnt = 0;
        bool validQtys = true;
        ArrayList LinesToOrder = new ArrayList();
        Label lb = FindControl("order") as Label;

        if (checkQtys(ref ItemCnt,ref LinesToOrder))
        {
            if (ItemCnt == 0)
            {//make sure at least one item with proper qty amount is entered before submitting the order
                validQtys = false;
                noItemMsg.Visible = true;
                noItemMsg.Text = "You must order at least one item<br />";
                noItemMsgTop.Visible = true;
                noItemMsgTop.Text = "You must order at least one item<br />";
            }
            if (validQtys)
            {//save the information to a session variable and send users to order review page      
                try
                {
                    foreach (LineItem WorkLine in LinesToOrder)
                    {
                        lb.Text += WorkLine.SKUID + ", " + WorkLine.Qty + ";";
                    }

                    Session["orderComplete"] = lb.Text;
                }

                catch (Exception x)
                {
                    Response.Write(x.Message.ToString());
                }
                Response.Redirect("/united-states/market/office-buildings/obproductmap/OrderReview");

            }
        }
    }
}

Here is the designer code with the repeater that is meant to hold the order summary:

<asp:Repeater ID="orderRepeater" runat="server" >
    <headertemplate>
        <tr>
            <th>SKU</th>
            <th>Quantity</th>
        </tr>
    </headertemplate>
    <itemtemplate>
        <tr>
            <td><%#Eval("sku") %></td>
            <td><%#Eval("qty") %></td>
        </tr>
    </itemtemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

And here is the code behind:

private void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) 
{
    Item CurrentItem = Sitecore.Context.Item;
    Item HomeItem = ScHelper.FindAncestor(CurrentItem, "gojoMarket");

    if (Session["orderComplete"] != "")
    {
        if (HomeItem != null)
        {
            Item ProductGroup = HomeItem.Axes.SelectSingleItem(@"child::*[@@templatename='gojoMarketOfficeBuildigProductMap']/*[@@templatename='gojoOrderReview']");

            if (ProductGroup != null)
            {
               //this is where I am confused on how to proceed


            }

        }
    }
}

Everything is working and I did a Response.Write test on the session variable to make sure it had the correct information and it did.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Before I try to address your question, lets take a look at some basics. A Session can hold an object, not just a string object. I would change:

 if (Session["orderComplete"] != "")

to

if (Session["orderComplete"] != null && Session["orderComplete"] != "")

if you don't, and Session["orderComplete"] is null, Session["orderComplete"] != "" will throw an error object not set to an instance of an object

And now to your question. Setting your session variable to [sku],[quantity];[sku],[quantity];[sku],[quantity], is not a good idea. For one, its not object oriented and 2, its not going to bind to any repeater or data source. You should create an object and bind a list of those objects to your control:

pseudo code:

class Program
{
 static void Main(string[] args)
 {
     List<Order> orders = new List<Order>();
     orders.Add(new Order { Sku = "ABC", Qty = 10});

 }
}

public class Order {

 public String Sku { get; set; }
 public int Qty { get; set; }

}

Then you can bind orders to your repeater. For example:

 if (Session["orderComplete"] != null && Session["orderComplete"] != ""){
     List<Order> orders = Session["orderComplete"] as List<Order>;
     myRepeater.DataSource = orders;
     myRepeater.DataBind();
 }