In this topic:

• Introduction

• Row Fields

• Binding to Data

• Security

• Data Operations

• Customizing the User Interface

• Events

• Accessibility

• Declarative Syntax

Introduction

The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control is used to display a single record from a data source in a table, where each field of the record is displayed in a row of the table. It can be used in combination with a System.Web.UI.WebControls.GridView control for master-detail scenarios. The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control supports the following features:

• Binding to data source controls, such as System.Web.UI.WebControls.SqlDataSource.

• Built-in inserting capabilities.

• Built-in updating and deleting capabilities.

• Built-in paging capabilities.

• Programmatic access to the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView object model to dynamically set properties, handle events, and so on.

• Customizable appearance through themes and styles.

Row Fields

Each data row in the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control is created by declaring a field control. Different row field types determine the behavior of the rows in the control. Field controls derive from System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataControlField. The following table lists the different row field types that can be used.

By default, the DetailsView.AutoGenerateRows property is set to true, which automatically generates a bound row field object for each field of a bindable type in the data source. Valid bindable types are string, DateTime, decimal, Guid, and the set of primitive types. Each field is then displayed in a row as text, in the order in which each field appears in the data source.

Automatically generating the rows provides a quick and easy way to display every field in the record. However, to make use of the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control's advanced capabilities you must explicitly declare the row fields to include in the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control. To declare the row fields, first set the DetailsView.AutoGenerateRows property to false. Next, add opening and closing <Fields> tags between the opening and closing tags of the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control. Finally, list the row fields that you want to include between the opening and closing <Fields> tags. The row fields specified are added to the DetailsView.Fields collection in the order listed. The DetailsView.Fields collection allows you to programmatically manage the row fields in the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control.

Binding to Data

The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control can be bound to a data source control (such as the System.Web.UI.WebControls.SqlDataSource control or System.Web.UI.WebControls.ObjectDataSource control) or to any data source collection that implements the IEnumerable interface, such as System.Data.DataView, ArrayList, List`1, or other collection types. Use one of the following methods to bind the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control to the appropriate data source type:

• To bind to a data source control, set the DataBoundControl.DataSourceID property of the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control to the System.Web.UI.Control.ID value of the data source control. The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control automatically binds to the specified data source control. This is the preferred method to bind to data.

• To bind to a data source that implements the IEnumerable interface, programmatically set the BaseDataBoundControl.DataSource property of the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control to the data source and then call the BaseDataBoundControl.DataBind method.

For more information on data binding, see ASP.NET Data Binding.

Security

This control can be used to display user input, which might include malicious client script. Check any information that is sent from a client for executable script, SQL statements, or other code before displaying it in your application. ASP.NET provides an input request validation feature to block script and HTML in user input. For more information, see Script Exploits Overview. Validation server controls are also provided to assess user input. For more information, see Validation Server Controls.

Data Operations

The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control provides built-in capabilities that allow the user to update, delete, insert, and page through items in the control. When the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control is bound to a data source control, the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control can take advantage of the data source control's capabilities and provide automatic updating, deleting, inserting, and paging functionality.

The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control can automatically add a System.Web.UI.WebControls.CommandField row field with an Edit, Delete, or New button by setting the DetailsView.AutoGenerateEditButton, DetailsView.AutoGenerateDeleteButton, or DetailsView.AutoGenerateInsertButton properties to true, respectively. Unlike the Delete button (which deletes the selected record immediately), when the Edit or New button is clicked, the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control goes into edit or insert mode, respectively. In edit mode, the Edit button is replaced with an Update and a Cancel button. Input controls that are appropriate for the field's data type (such as a System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox or a System.Web.UI.WebControls.CheckBox control) are displayed with a field's value for the user to modify. Clicking the Update button updates the record in the data source, while clicking the Cancel button abandons any changes. Likewise, in insert mode, the New button is replaced with an Insert and a Cancel button, and empty input controls are displayed for the user to enter the values for the new record.

The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control provides a paging feature, which allows the user to navigate to other records in the data source. When enabled, page navigation controls are displayed in a pager row. To enable paging, set the DetailsView.AllowPaging property to true. The pager row can be customized using the DetailsView.PagerStyle and DetailsView.PagerSettings properties.

Customizing the User Interface

You can customize the appearance of the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control by setting the style properties for different parts of the control. The following table lists the style properties that you can set.

Events

The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control provides several events that you can program against. This allows you to run a custom routine whenever an event occurs. The following table lists the events supported by the System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control. The System.Web.UI.WebControls.DetailsView control also inherits these events from its base classes: System.Web.UI.Control.DataBinding, BaseDataBoundControl.DataBound, System.Web.UI.Control.Disposed, System.Web.UI.Control.Init, System.Web.UI.Control.Load, System.Web.UI.Control.PreRender, and System.Web.UI.Control.Render(System.Web.UI.HtmlTextWriter).

Accessibility

For information about how to configure this control so that it generates markup that conforms to accessibility standards, see Accessibility in Visual Studio 2010 and ASP.NET 4 and ASP.NET Controls and Accessibility.

Declarative Syntax

<asp:DetailsView
    AccessKey="string"
    AllowPaging="True|