How to get the cell value by column name not by index in GridView in asp.net

Question

I am having a gridview in asp.net and now I want the cell value by the column name but not by the cell index.

How would be it possible

Answer 1

It is possible to use the data field name, if not the title so easily, which solved the problem for me. For ASP.NET & VB:

e.g. For a string:

Dim Encoding = e.Row.DataItem("Encoding").ToString().Trim()

e.g. For an integer:

Dim MsgParts = Convert.ToInt32(e.Row.DataItem("CalculatedMessageParts").ToString())

Answer 2

GridView does not act as column names, as that's it's datasource property to know those things.

If you still need to know the index given a column name, then you can create a helper method to do this as the gridview Header normally contains this information.

int GetColumnIndexByName(GridViewRow row, string columnName)
{
    int columnIndex = 0;
    foreach (DataControlFieldCell cell in row.Cells)
    {
        if (cell.ContainingField is BoundField)
            if (((BoundField)cell.ContainingField).DataField.Equals(columnName))
                break;
        columnIndex++; // keep adding 1 while we don't have the correct name
    }
    return columnIndex;
}

remember that the code above will use a BoundField... then use it like:

protected void GridView_RowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow)
    {
        int index = GetColumnIndexByName(e.Row, "myDataField");
        string columnValue = e.Row.Cells[index].Text;
    }
}

I would strongly suggest that you use the TemplateField to have your own controls, then it's easier to grab those controls like:

<asp:GridView ID="gv" runat="server">
    <Columns>
        <asp:TemplateField>
            <ItemTemplate>
                <asp:Label ID="lblName" runat="server" Text='<%# Eval("Name") %>' />
            </ItemTemplate>
        </asp:TemplateField>
    </Columns>
</asp:GridView>

and then use

string columnValue = ((Label)e.Row.FindControl("lblName")).Text;

Answer 3

protected void CheckedRecords(object sender, EventArgs e)

    {
       string email = string.Empty;
        foreach (GridViewRow gridrows in GridView1.Rows)

        {

            CheckBox chkbox = (CheckBox)gridrows.FindControl("ChkRecords");
    if (chkbox != null & chkbox.Checked)

            {

    int columnIndex = 0;
                foreach (DataControlFieldCell cell in gridrows.Cells)
                {
                    if (cell.ContainingField is BoundField)
                        if (((BoundField)cell.ContainingField).DataField.Equals("UserEmail"))
                            break;
                    columnIndex++; 
                }


                email += gridrows.Cells[columnIndex].Text + ',';
                  }

        }

        Label1.Text = "email:" + email;

    }                           

Answer 4

//get the value of a gridview
public string getUpdatingGridviewValue(GridView gridviewEntry, string fieldEntry)
    {//start getGridviewValue
        //scan gridview for cell value
            string result = Convert.ToString(functionsOther.getCurrentTime()); 
            for(int i = 0; i < gridviewEntry.HeaderRow.Cells.Count; i++)
                {//start i for
                    if(gridviewEntry.HeaderRow.Cells[i].Text == fieldEntry)
                        {//start check field match
                            result = gridviewEntry.Rows[rowUpdateIndex].Cells[i].Text;
                            break;
                        }//end check field match
                }//end i for
        //return
            return result;
    }//end getGridviewValue

Answer 5

You can use the DataRowView to get the column index.

    void OnRequestsGridRowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow)
        {
            var data = e.Row.DataItem as DataRowView;

            // replace request name with a link
            if (data.DataView.Table.Columns["Request Name"] != null)
            {
                // get the request name
                string title = data["Request Name"].ToString();
                // get the column index
                int idx = data.Row.Table.Columns["Request Name"].Ordinal;

                // ...

                e.Row.Cells[idx].Controls.Clear();
                e.Row.Cells[idx].Controls.Add(link);
            }
        }
    }

Answer 6

A little bug with indexcolumn in alexander's answer: We need to take care of "not found" column:

int GetColumnIndexByName(GridViewRow row, string columnName)
{
    int columnIndex = 0;
    int foundIndex=-1;
    foreach (DataControlFieldCell cell in row.Cells)
    {
        if (cell.ContainingField is BoundField)
        {
            if (((BoundField)cell.ContainingField).DataField.Equals(columnName))
            {
                foundIndex=columnIndex;
                break;
            }
        }
        columnIndex++; // keep adding 1 while we don't have the correct name
    }
    return foundIndex;
}

and

protected void GridView_RowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow)
    {
        int index = GetColumnIndexByName(e.Row, "myDataField");
        if( index>0)
        {
            string columnValue = e.Row.Cells[index].Text;
        }
    }
}