How to find controls in a repeater header or footer

Question

I was wondering how one would find the controls in the HeaderTemplate or FooterTemplate of an Asp.Net Repeater control.

I can access them on the ItemDataBound event, but I was wondering how to get them after (for example to retrieve a value of an input in the header/footer).

Note: I posted this question here after finding the answer just so that I remember it (and maybe other people might find this useful).

score 175 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 06 '14 at 23:18

175

As noted in the comments, this only works AFTER you've DataBound your repeater.

To find a control in the header:

lblControl = repeater1.Controls[0].Controls[0].FindControl("lblControl");

To find a control in the footer:

lblControl = repeater1.Controls[repeater1.Controls.Count - 1].Controls[0].FindControl("lblControl");

With extension methods

public static class RepeaterExtensionMethods
{
    public static Control FindControlInHeader(this Repeater repeater, string controlName)
    {
        return repeater.Controls[0].Controls[0].FindControl(controlName);
    }

    public static Control FindControlInFooter(this Repeater repeater, string controlName)
    {
        return repeater.Controls[repeater.Controls.Count - 1].Controls[0].FindControl(controlName);
    }
}

edited Feb 06 '14 at 23:18

CDspace

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answered Mar 31 '09 at 15:01

mbillard

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Just a small picky note - You need to capitalize the "c" in Controls[0] in your footer example. – Mike Cole Jan 28 '10 at 21:45
8

This answer hurts my eyes. – Lloyd Powell Nov 03 '11 at 16:14
10

This works great. Just one note - this only works AFTER you have databound your repeater. – Aaron Aug 30 '12 at 15:56
2

This is such an ugly way to do this... But it works for me. Thank you so much man! I would give you more than a +1 if possible. – Cruril Oct 01 '13 at 16:31

score 54 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 15 '17 at 16:21

54

Better solution

You can check item type in ItemCreated event:

protected void rptSummary_ItemCreated(Object sender, RepeaterItemEventArgs e) {
    if (e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.Footer) {
        e.Item.FindControl(ctrl);
    }
    if (e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.Header) {
        e.Item.FindControl(ctrl);
    }
}

edited Feb 15 '17 at 16:21

David Rogers

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answered Feb 21 '11 at 03:13

Behtash Moradi

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You specifically said ItemDataBound, this is ItemCreated, upvote. – Roberto Alarcon Dec 20 '11 at 19:36
3

Agreed, much better solution. Just save a reference to the control. – Sprintstar May 18 '12 at 10:21
1

This is a much better way to do it. – Tomas Beblar Sep 14 '15 at 21:47

score 5 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 10 '10 at 12:56

5

You can take a reference on the control on the ItemCreated event, and then use it later.

answered Aug 10 '10 at 12:56

pascal

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You simply asked how you would access it later, the answer pascal gave of setting a reference at that point to use afterwards is perfectly valid. – Kasaku Sep 21 '11 at 16:40

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 12 '11 at 14:43

Find control into Repeater (Header, Item, Footer)

public static class FindControlInRepeater
{
    public static Control FindControl(this Repeater repeater, string controlName)
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < repeater.Controls.Count; i++)
            if (repeater.Controls[i].Controls[0].FindControl(controlName) != null)
                return repeater.Controls[i].Controls[0].FindControl(controlName);
        return null;
    }
}

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 15 '14 at 09:25

The best and clean way to do this is within the Item_Created Event :

 protected void rptSummary_ItemCreated(Object sender, RepeaterItemEventArgs e)
        {
            switch (e.Item.ItemType)
            {
                case ListItemType.AlternatingItem:
                    break;
                case ListItemType.EditItem:
                    break;
                case ListItemType.Footer:
                    e.Item.FindControl(ctrl);
                    break;
                case ListItemType.Header:
                    break;
                case ListItemType.Item:
                    break;
                case ListItemType.Pager:
                    break;
                case ListItemType.SelectedItem:
                    break;
                case ListItemType.Separator:
                    break;
                default:
                    break;
            }
    }

Piyey · Answer 6 · 2012-02-22T23:23:07.400

This is in VB.NET, just translate to C# if you need it:

<Extension()>
Public Function FindControlInRepeaterHeader(Of T As Control)(obj As Repeater, ControlName As String) As T
    Dim ctrl As T = TryCast((From item As RepeaterItem In obj.Controls
                   Where item.ItemType = ListItemType.Header).SingleOrDefault.FindControl(ControlName),T)
    Return ctrl
End Function

And use it easy:

Dim txt as string = rptrComentarios.FindControlInRepeaterHeader(Of Label)("lblVerTodosComentarios").Text

Try to make it work with footer, and items controls too =)

glboothby · Answer 7 · 2018-06-29T11:43:15.290

private T GetHeaderControl<T>(Repeater rp, string id) where T : Control
{
    T returnValue = null;
    if (rp != null && !String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(id))
    {
        returnValue = rp.Controls.Cast<RepeaterItem>().Where(i => i.ItemType == ListItemType.Header).Select(h => h.FindControl(id) as T).Where(c => c != null).FirstOrDefault();
    }
    return returnValue;
}

Finds and casts the control. (Based on Piyey's VB answer)

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Feb 01 '19 at 11:54

For ItemDataBound

protected void Repeater1_ItemDataBound(object sender, RepeaterItemEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.Header)//header
    {
            Control ctrl = e.Item.FindControl("ctrlID");
    }
    else if (e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.Footer)//footer
    {
            Control ctrl = e.Item.FindControl("ctrlID");
    }
}

How to find controls in a repeater header or footer

8 Answers8

With extension methods

Linked