ASP.NET Repeater control
Repeater control list is bound to repeat the control program for display.
Bind DataSet to the Repeater control
Repeater control list is bound to repeat the control program for display. The Repeater control may be bound to a database table, XML file, or another list of items. Here, we will demonstrate how to bind an XML file to a Repeater control.
In our example, we will use the following XML document ( "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>
Check the XML file: cdcatalog.xml
First, import the "System.Data" namespace. We need this namespace to work with DataSet objects. The following instruction is included in the top of the .aspx page:
Next, create a DataSet for the XML file, and when the page first loads this XML file loading DataSet:
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 Repeater control in an .aspx page. <HeaderTemplate> element content is rendered first and only once in the output, and <ItemTemplate> element contents corresponding to the DataSet each "record" is repeated, and finally, <FooterTemplate> element content output appear only once:
<body>
<form runat="server">
<asp:Repeater id="cdcatalog" runat="server">
<HeaderTemplate>
...
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
...
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
...
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
</form>
</body>
</html>
Then we add the script to create a DataSet, and binds mycdcatalog DataSet to the Repeater control. Then use HTML tags to populate the Repeater control, and by <% # Container.DataItem ( "fieldname")%> to bind data item <ItemTemplate> area cell:
Examples
<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>
<html>
<body>
<form runat="server">
<asp:Repeater id="cdcatalog" runat="server">
<HeaderTemplate>
<table border="1" width="100%">
<tr>
<th>Title</th>
<th>Artist</th>
<th>Country</th>
<th>Company</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Year</th>
</tr>
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<tr>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("title")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("artist")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("country")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("company")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("price")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("year")%></td>
</tr>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</table>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
</form>
</body>
</html>
The demonstration >>
Use <AlternatingItemTemplate>
You can post <ItemTemplate> element to <AlternatingItemTemplate> element is used to describe the appearance of alternating rows of output. In the example below, the table will be displayed every other line as a light gray background:
Examples
<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>
<html>
<body>
<form runat="server">
<asp:Repeater id="cdcatalog" runat="server">
<HeaderTemplate>
<table border="1" width="100%">
<tr>
<th>Title</th>
<th>Artist</th>
<th>Country</th>
<th>Company</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Year</th>
</tr>
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<tr>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("title")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("artist")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("country")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("company")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("price")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("year")%></td>
</tr>
</ItemTemplate>
<AlternatingItemTemplate>
<tr bgcolor="#e8e8e8">
<td><%#Container.DataItem("title")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("artist")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("country")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("company")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("price")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("year")%></td>
</tr>
</AlternatingItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</table>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
</form>
</body>
</html>
The demonstration >>
Use <SeparatorTemplate>
<SeparatorTemplate> element is used to describe a separator between each record. In the following example, each table is inserted between a horizontal line:
Examples
<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>
<html>
<body>
<form runat="server">
<asp:Repeater id="cdcatalog" runat="server">
<HeaderTemplate>
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<th>Title</th>
<th>Artist</th>
<th>Country</th>
<th>Company</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Year</th>
</tr>
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<tr>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("title")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("artist")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("country")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("company")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("price")%></td>
<td><%#Container.DataItem("year")%></td>
</tr>
</ItemTemplate>
<SeparatorTemplate>
<tr>
<td colspan="6"><hr /></td>
</tr>
</SeparatorTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</table>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
</form>
</body>
</html>
The demonstration >>