Nested Properties in a GridView ASP.Net 2.0

[Eyal]

Hi.

I am using a GridView to display records from an ObjectDataSource. My
middle-tier layer have nested properties, meaning that I have things like
Employee.Name.FullName, where Employee is what I am binding the grid to
while FullName is what I want displayed.

For some reason the GridView does not allow me to do something like
DataField="Name.FullName". This fine in a Windows Form DataGridView, but not
in ASP.Net GridView!

Is this a known issue? Are there any workarounds for it? Thanks in advance,
Eyal.

 

[Mikeon]

I am using a GridView to display records from an ObjectDataSource. My

middle-tier layer have nested properties, meaning that I have things like
Employee.Name.FullName, where Employee is what I am binding the grid to
while FullName is what I want displayed.

For some reason the GridView does not allow me to do something like
DataField="Name.FullName". This fine in a Windows Form DataGridView, but not
in ASP.Net GridView!

Is this a known issue? Are there any workarounds for it? Thanks in advance,

Check out my blog at:
http://vaultofthoughts.net/UsingBindWithNestedProperties.aspx

Where I describe how to deal with similar issues.

Also check out my articles on problems with ObjectDataSource:
http://vaultofthoughts.net/ProblemsWithObjectDataSource.aspx

and a working alternative
http://vaultofthoughts.net/ObjectDataSourceAWorkingAlternative.aspx
or better yet with all other controls:
http://vaultofthoughts.net/ASPNETControlsPack.aspx

Of course, all feedback is always welcome.

 

[Eyal]

Thank you Michal for the response. This is actually very similar to what we
have came up with. However, I do consider this solution a work around the
problem (please take no offense as we have come up with the same idea). Do
you (or anyone else) know if there are any plans for adding this
functionality in a future version of the grid or perhaps in an "Atlas" CTP.
Thank you again. Eyal.

 

[Mikeon]

Thank you Michal for the response. This is actually very similar to what we

have came up with. However, I do consider this solution a work around the
problem (please take no offense as we have come up with the same idea). Do
you (or anyone else) know if there are any plans for adding this
functionality in a future version of the grid or perhaps in an "Atlas" CTP.

I do not think they will do it soon. This is not a problem with a grid.
It is a problem with how Bind works.
When Bind retrievs data from a data-bound field it takes the string
representation and transforms it to your destination type. With nested
object it would be very difficult to do it.