将下拉列表选择的值设置为数据库中的值

Question

What I'm trying to do is set a drop down list to be whatever its value is in the database when editing an entry. I am able to save the value of the drop down list to the database just fine, but I can't seem to set the control in the browser to show this. IE The selected value of "4" is saved to the database for entry ABC, but when I return to this entry to edit it again, this is not the selected value--it's the first item in the drop down list.

This is the code I have that is meant to set the selected value of the drop down upon editing an entry, but it does not work:

using (SqlConnection cn = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["AbleCommerce"].ToString()))
{
     cn.Open();
     SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(selectQuery, cn);
     cmd.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("@CustomerID", custIDHidden.Value));

      using (IDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader())
      {
          if (reader.Read())
          { 
              TaxExemptDDL.SelectedValue = reader["TaxExemptFile"].ToString();


           }
       }
        cn.Close();
}

The control itself (the value is what gets stored in the database, not the text):

<asp:DropDownList ID="TaxExemptDDL" style="width:165px;" runat="server">
  <asp:ListItem Text="True" Value="1" />
  <asp:ListItem Text="False" Value="0" />
</asp:DropDownList>

Am I going about this the wrong way? It seems like it would be simple to do but I appear to have it wrong somehow...

Answer 1

You can't set the SelectedValue like that.

ListItem itemToSelect = TaxExemptDDL.Items.FindByValue(reader["TaxExemptFile"].ToString());
if (itemToSelect != null)
{
TaxExemptDDL.SelectedIndex = TaxExemptDDL.Items.IndexOf(itemToSelect);
}

Why doesn't someone make it easier to post code here? Like other sites where you can put stuff between [Code] tags and it formats the code. It is hard work posting code here. And edits don't always update either.

Answer 2

**u can add items to the dropdownlist by manually from design or from values from database. if u are in a page for editing and u want to set the dropdownlist selected value as in the database value, then take the selected value from database to string and do like this. in my example i want to show the course list in dropdownlist & my selected course in database is "php". Bt my dropdownlist is in the order of

android

asp.net

java

php

in PageLoad**

string course="php";

ListItem itm = new ListItem("course", "course");

DropDownList1.SelectedIndex = DropDownList1.Items.IndexOf(itm);

now when page loads dropdownlist selected item will be "php".