Hour 18. Exploring Data Binding and Other Data-Related Topics

In this hour, we will cover

• The different fields available for the GridView and DetailsView controls

• Displaying hyperlinks, check boxes, and images in the GridView and DetailsView controls

• Using wildcards in the SQL WHERE clause

• Understanding data binding and the data-binding syntax

Over the past five hours we've covered a number of data-related topics. In Hour 13, "An Introduction to Databases," we talked about the structure and purpose of databases, and looked at how to create a SQL Server 2005 Express Edition database using Visual Web Developer. Next, in Hour 14, "Accessing Data with the Data Source Web Controls," we saw how to get data from the database to an ASP.NET web page through ASP.NET's data source controls. In particular, we focused on the SqlDataSource control, which is designed for accessing data from a database.

In the preceding three hours we examined a variety of ASP.NET controls designed to display and to allow the end user to interact with the data retrieved from a data source control. In the preceding hour we looked at the DropDownList, RadioButtonList, and CheckBoxList controls; the two hours preceding that examined the GridView and DetailsView controls.

At this point we've covered the most important and commonly used data-related concepts of ASP.NET. Before we move on to our next topic, however, I want to take one more hour to touch on a number of data-related topics that didn't fit naturally into any of the previous hours.