Can't activate message box with SQL data - ASP.NET

Question

I am testing my knowledge of ADO.NET and SQL and am currently just trying to do the basics. I want to read from a table and when the user clicks a button, a message box pops up with the value in the ApplicationName column.

It currently doesn't do anything when I click the button... any ideas?

protected void TestSubmit_ServerClick(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
 // Initialize the database connector.
 SqlConnection connectSQL = new SqlConnection();
 // Send the connection string.
 connectSQL.ConnectionString = @"Data Source = localhost\SQLEXPRESS;" + 
 "Initial Catalog = Inputs; Integrated Security = SSPI";
 try
 {
 // Setup our command.
 SqlCommand theCommand = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Inputs", connectSQL);
 // Write the stored value in the text boxes.
 connectSQL.Open();
 SqlDataReader theReader;
 theReader = theCommand.ExecuteReader();
 theReader.Read();
 MessageBox(theReader["ApplicationName"].ToString());
 theReader.Close();
 connectSQL.Close();
 }
 catch (Exception ee)
 {
 MessageBox("Oopsie: " + ee);
 } 
 private void MessageBox(string msg)
 {
 Label lbl = new Label();
 lbl.Text = "" + Environment.NewLine + "window.alert('" + msg + "')";
 Page.Controls.Add(lbl);
 }

Answer 1

You are basically just sending "window.alert('your message');" as HTML to the browser, this wont execute as JavaScript. Do you really want it to be a "popup"? If so consider using RegisterStartupScript() instead of outputting the JS via a label (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/asz8zsxy.aspx). If not then why not just set the contents of the label to your return message?

• Skeolan: right - the problem with your implementation is that you're transmitting a fragment of Javascript without a <script></script> tag around it. Clearly that's not going to execute the script. The proper way to do this server-side on a postback in WinForms is to register the script using RegisterStartupScript or RegisterClientScript
• Woody: DOH!!! It didn't copy over the <script>.... it's there, but StackOverflow won't let it copy over...

Answer 2

Sample taken from MSDN & modified for your example

private void MessageBox(string msg)
{
 StringBuilder cstext2 = new StringBuilder();
 cstext2.Append("<script type=\"text/javascript\">");
 cstext2.Append("window.alert('" + msg + "')} </");
 cstext2.Append("script>");
 ClientScript.RegisterClientScriptBlock(cstype, csname2, cstext2.ToString(), false);
}

You could also use RegisterStartupScript instead of RegisterClientScriptBlock.

EDIT: OR the classic ASP way should also work.
I am writing this without any editor.

Response.Write(@"<script language='javascript'>window.alert('" + msg + "');</script>");

Answer 3

It does execute actually. I use this in other code and that messagebox function works fine on other projects.

Here's what I really want to do:

try
 {
 // Setup our command.
 SqlCommand theCommand = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Inputs", connectSQL);
 // Write the stored value in the text boxes.
 connectSQL.Open();
 SqlDataReader theReader;
 theReader = theCommand.ExecuteReader();
 theReader.Read();
 TextBox6.Text = (theReader["ApplicationName"].ToString());
 theReader.Close();
 connectSQL.Close();
 }
 catch (Exception ee)
 {
 MessageBox("Oopsie: " + ee);
 } 

Note that TextBox6 is an ASP text box on the website. Clicking TestSubmit does not show the text.