Bind DataGrid to Dictionary in ASP.NET

Question

In ASP.NET, binding a DataGrid to a list of objects is super-easy.

I end up with a row for each object in the list, and any cell in a given row is bound to a property of the corresponding object.

However, suppose one of the properties of my object is a dictionary, and each is expected to contain a specific key. Is there any way to bind one of my DataGridColumns to that dictionary key?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I am not familiar with the works of the DataGrid bindings but binding in general can be done on any public property. Try binding to Key and Value on the Dictionary

Answer 2

If you add a handler for DataGrid.ItemDataBound, you can explicitly set a column value from your Dictionary. The very simplest example:

protected void OnItemDataBound(object sender, DataGridItemEventArgs e)
{
    myclass mine = (myclass) e.Item.DataItem;

    int cellindex = 5;
    e.Item.Cells[cellindex].Text = mine.mydict["thekey"];
}

Answer 3

Another option is to add a property to your class that returns the value for that specific key.

public string TheKey
{        
    get { return MyDictionary["thekey"]; }
}

(The purists out there might not like the idea of adding a property to your object for this reason, but it makes for a simple solution.)