Pick a Server Control.

[mcliano]

Is there a rule of thumb for when and how to choose between using....<BR><BR> o Repeater<BR> o DataList<BR> o DataGrid<BR><BR>....Server Controls?<BR><BR>I seem to randomly choose between them, but I'm sure there must be some rigid set of guidelines about when to use what. Or am I wrong?I've just been reading Day 9 in SAMS Teach Yourself ASP.NET in 21 Days, it's an excellent read and I'd highly recommend getting it. It covers a lot of the *why* and *how* questions with excellent examples.<BR><BR> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0672321688/forestlakewebser/<BR><BR>Anyways, it seems that the 3 Data Server Controls that I mention are ranked in this order (from Lightweight to Heavyweight)...<BR><BR> o Repeater<BR> o DataList<BR> o DataGrid<BR><BR>... and I therefore presume that Instantiating a DataGrid is much more resource hungry that firing up a Repeater control. For this reason it is probably wise to realize what your needs are, and then pick the most appropriate Control for the job.<BR><BR>Here's my take on when to choose which control.<BR><BR>Choose the Repeater when....<BR>----------------------------------<BR>You need to Loop through Data and have the time to define all the Elements of the Interface. Do not choose this control if you need to edit or modify the data in the resultset.<BR><BR>Choose the DataList when....<BR>----------------------------------<BR>You need all of the functionality of the Repeater but you also need to edit or modify the data in some way. The SelectedItemTemplate and the EditItemTemplate give you more flexibility than the Repeater when it comes to Displaying custom views and editing your Data.<BR><BR>Choose the DataGrid when....<BR>----------------------------------<BR>You need all of the functionality of the DataList but you also need some 'Bells and Whistles' such as Paging and Sorting. The DataGrid can also reduce the time it takes to create a view of your Data by (optionally) AutoGenerating a column for each column in your DataView.