Filling a table in code behind

Question

I was wondering if there could be an easier or simpler way of filling a table with code behind.

So far I have my html/asp.net table :

<table style="width:275px;">
 <thead>
 <tr>
 <th><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsH0" runat="server" Text="Section"></asp:Label></th>
 <th><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsH1" runat="server" Text="Capacity Push (lbf)"></asp:Label></th>
 <th><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsH2" runat="server" Text="Capacity Pull (lbf)"></asp:Label></th>
 <th><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsH3" runat="server" Text="Stroke (in)"></asp:Label></th>
 <th><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsH4" runat="server" Text="Outside diameter (in)"></asp:Label></th>
 </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage0Text" runat="server" Text="Master"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage0Value0" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage0Value1" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage0Value2" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage0Value3" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage1Text" runat="server" Text="1st stage"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage1Value0" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage1Value1" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage1Value2" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage1Value3" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage2Text" runat="server" Text="2nd stage"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage2Value0" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage2Value1" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage2Value2" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage2Value3" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage3Text" runat="server" Text="3rd stage"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage3Value0" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage3Value1" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage3Value2" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage3Value3" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage4Text" runat="server" Text="4th stage"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage4Value0" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage4Value1" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage4Value2" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 <td><asp:Label ID="LBL_StatsStage4Value3" runat="server" Text="--"></asp:Label></td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

And my CodeBehind :

LBL_StatsStage0Value0.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage1Value0.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePush(1))
LBL_StatsStage2Value0.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePush(2))
LBL_StatsStage3Value0.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage4Value0.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage0Value1.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage1Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(2))
LBL_StatsStage2Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(2))
LBL_StatsStage3Value1.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage4Value1.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage0Value2.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage1Value2.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadLength(1) - cylinderLoadLength(0))
LBL_StatsStage2Value2.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadLength(2) - cylinderLoadLength(1))
LBL_StatsStage3Value2.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage4Value2.Text = "--"
LBL_StatsStage0Value3.Text = cylinderOutsideDiameter(0)
If UBound(cylinderLoadForcePush) > 2 AndAlso cylinderSectionStroke(3) <> 0 Then
 LBL_StatsStage3Value0.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePush(3))
 LBL_StatsStage1Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(3))
 LBL_StatsStage2Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(3))
 LBL_StatsStage3Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(3))
 LBL_StatsStage3Value2.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadLength(3) - cylinderLoadLength(2))
 If UBound(cylinderLoadForcePush) > 3 AndAlso cylinderSectionStroke(4) <> 0 Then
 LBL_StatsStage4Value0.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePush(4))
 LBL_StatsStage1Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(4))
 LBL_StatsStage2Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(4))
 LBL_StatsStage3Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(4))
 LBL_StatsStage4Value1.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadForcePull(4))
 LBL_StatsStage4Value2.Text = Math.Round(cylinderLoadLength(4) - cylinderLoadLength(3))
 End If
End If

As you notice, I have hardcoded line by line every cell. I have also made the name of my cells incremented to make them easier to find or use.

Question

How can I make this code simpler or how can I shorten it? Is there a way that I could implement a For Loop that loops through every cell of the table and adds the proper value to it?

• Vogel612: It looks a lot like you could use a Repeater control, but I have no VS handy right now so I can't put code together...
• Sifu: @Vogel612 Interesting, I read through the documentation of ASP:Repeater. It says that it needs a template.. As this is the only table I have in my website, wouldn't that take even more lines?
• Vogel612: How that? Your template is one <tr>/*stuff between*/</tr>. This could drastically shorten your code to simply providing the correct collection to the repeater and do nothing more.
• Sifu: @Vogel612 Oh okay! Nevermind, I misunderstood the documentation, that will indeed drastically shorten my asp.net/html code! Thanks for that. Any thoughts on how I could shorten my CodeBehind(VB)?

Answer 1

You want to use an <asp:GridView />

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/2s019wc0(v=vs.100).aspx

In your code behind you can set the DataSource property and the call DataBind

<asp:GridView runat="server" id="fooGrid" />

And in C#:

fooGrid.DataSource = // some array or IEnumerable or DataTable
fooGrid.DataBind();

There are many more tags and attributes you need to set on the grid view element. See the link above for examples.