Container.DataItem

[rn5a]

When I do this:

<aspataList ID="dlProducts" runat="server">
<HeaderTemplate>
<table border="0">
<tr>
<td>Category</td>
<td><%# Container.DataItem("Category") %></td>
</tr>
</table>
</HeaderTemplate>
</aspataList>

then ASP.NET generates the

Object variable or With block variable not set.

error pointing to the <%# Container.DataItem("Category") %> line in the
above code but if the offending line is placed within an ItemTemplate

<aspataList ID="dlProducts" runat="server">
<ItemTemplate>
<table border="0">
<tr>
<td>Category</td>
<td><%# Container.DataItem("Category") %></td>
</tr>
</table>
</ItemTemplate>
</aspataList>

then it works fine.

Can't <%# Container.DataItem("Category") %> be used within the
HeaderTemplate in a DataList (Category is a column in a SQL Server 2005
DB table)?

Note that I am binding the data to the DataList control using
SqlDataReader.

 

[David Wier]

That's because it's meant for the ItemTemplate - that's where the data gets
placed.
The HeaderTemplate is for headers - there is no data associated with it, in
the way you created it.

 

[rn5a]

So that means <%# Container.DataItem("Category") %> cannot be used
within the HeaderTemplate in a DataList control.....fine.......thanks

 

[Guest]

use Eval

<%Eval("Category")%>

So that means <%# Container.DataItem("Category") %> cannot be used
within the HeaderTemplate in a DataList control.....fine.......thanks

 

[Eliyahu Goldin]

The DataItem property applies only to data items. Header is not one. This
explains your error message.