Class to automatically pull database fields into .NET Controls

Question

I'm building a class that automatically loads a DB record, looks at each DB column name, and fills the associated textbox/label/literal/etc, if it has the same name. I got this idea from Rails, in case that helps clarify what I'm trying to do.

public string presentData(Page thisForm)
{
// .. for each column name
// ... thisForm.FindControl() happens
}

I can't seem to find the Control I want this way, and there could quite possibly be a better way to do this.

Edit: If I can save on performance by doing it another way, definitely suggest it. I have large forms, and a recursive FindControl would cause a growth in performance time.

Answer 1

FindControl is not recursive, so it only finds top level controls, not controls that are nested within other controls. See this article for an example of a recursive version of FindControl.

Answer 2

Have you thought about filling your controls client side? JQuery might be a good place to start. You'd generate the Javascript/JQuery to do the populating on the server, then JQuery takes care of searching for the controls. Very efficient.

Answer 3

My suggestion is to use a BindingSource bound to a DataSet instead of recursively finding each control and setting its value.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/baya8sx4.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/801dxw2t.aspx

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/grid/BindSourceBindingNavCS.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fbk67b6z(VS.80).aspx?ppud=4