asp.net building controls: am building a user control that has a repeater in it. I first started with a
regular web page to get the formatting right where everything worked
properly. I then copied it into a new ascx file.

The repeater is created on the page (not dynamic). I have a function that
databinds the repeater:

private void BindRepeater(){
DataSet ds = new DataSet();
.. . . create dataset structure . . .;

repeater.datasource = ds; //error occurs here
repeater.Databind();
}

I get an error message that object reference not set to an instance. When I
step through with the debugger, the repeater is not instantiated.

This only happened after I moved it to an ascx page and put the control on
an aspx page. I have tried calling this function in the page_load, init, and
prerender.

Well, since we don't have your ASCX file I can only make a guess at the problem
-- Did you add runat=server to your Repeater? Does it have an id="repeater"
(the variable name you referenced below)?

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen



[quoted text, click to view]

The answer is yes to both of your questions. My code has been review by
other developers and nothing was glarringly wrong with the code (at least to
us :).

Here is the repeater tag:
<asp:repeater id=rptCommissionTable runat="server"
OnItemDataBound="rptCommissionTable_ItemDataBound">
<HeaderTemplate>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td colspan="12">Universal Life</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="3">
Carrier
</td>
<td rowspan="3">Product Compensation Schedule</td>
<td colspan="10">Total Commissions as a Function of Penetration
Percentage</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5">Advisor A</td>
<td colspan="5">Advisor B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>30%</td>
<td>40%</td>
<td>50%</td>
<td>60%</td>
<td>70%</td>
<td>30%</td>
<td>40%</td>
<td>50%</td>
<td>60%</td>
<td>70%</td>
</tr>
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<tr runat="server">
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblCompensationSchedule" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorARate1" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorARate2" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorARate3" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorARate4" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorARate5" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorBRate1" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorBRate2" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorBRate3" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorBRate4" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
<td>
<asp:Label ID="lblAdvisorBRate5" Runat="server"></asp:Label>
</td>
</tr>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</table>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

and the current codebehind (I have changed this many times to find the
problem)

namespace NFP.Benefits.VoluntaryBenefits.Commissions
{
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for VBCommissionMatrix.
/// </summary>
public class VBCommissionMatrix : System.Web.UI.UserControl
{
protected MetaBuilders.WebControls.GlobalRadioButton rb = new
GlobalRadioButton();
protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Repeater rptCommissionTable;
protected Label lblTest;
private int commisionTableRowCount = 1;

private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
// Put user code to initialize the page here



}
protected override void OnPreRender(EventArgs e)
{

base.OnPreRender (e);
}

private void BindCommissionRepeater()
{
DataSet ds = new DataSet();
DataTable dt1 = new DataTable();
dt1.Columns.Add("Carrier");
dt1.Columns.Add("CompensationSchedule");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorARate1");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorARate2");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorARate3");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorARate4");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorARate5");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorBRate1");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorBRate2");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorBRate3");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorBRate4");
dt1.Columns.Add("AdvisorBRate5");

DataRow row1 = dt1.NewRow();
row1[0] = "Boston Mutual";
row1[1] = "First Year 90%";
row1[2] = "10,530";
row1[3] = "14,040";
row1[4] = "17,550";
row1[5] = "21,060";
row1[6] = "24,570";
row1[7] = "7,020";
row1[8] = "9,360";
row1[9] = "11,700";
row1[10] = "14,040";
row1[11] = "16,380";
dt1.Rows.Add(row1);

DataRow row2 = dt1.NewRow();
row2[0] = "Boston Mutual";
row2[1] = "Renewal 7%";
row2[2] = "819";
row2[3] = "1,092";
row2[4] = "1,365";
row2[5] = "1,638";
row2[6] = "1,911";
row2[7] = "546";
row2[8] = "728";
row2[9] = "910";
row2[10] = "1,092";
row2[11] = "1,274";
dt1.Rows.Add(row2);

DataRow row3 = dt1.NewRow();
row3[0] = "Boston Mutual";
row3[1] = "First Year 90%";
row3[2] = "10,530";
row3[3] = "14,040";
row3[4] = "17,550";
row3[5] = "21,060";
row3[6] = "24,570";
row3[7] = "7,020";
row3[8] = "9,360";
row3[9] = "11,700";
row3[10] = "14,040";
row3[11] = "16,380";
dt1.Rows.Add(row3);

DataRow row4 = dt1.NewRow();
row4[0] = "Boston Mutual";
row4[1] = "Renewal 7%";
row4[2] = "819";
row4[3] = "1,092";
row4[4] = "1,365";
row4[5] = "1,638";
row4[6] = "1,911";
row4[7] = "546";
row4[8] = "728";
row4[9] = "910";
row4[10] = "1,092";
row4[11] = "1,274";
dt1.Rows.Add(row4);
ds.Tables.Add(dt1);


this.rptCommissionTable.DataSource = ds;
this.rptCommissionTable.DataBind();
}

#region Web Form Designer generated code
override protected void OnInit(EventArgs e)
{
//
// CODEGEN: This call is required by the ASP.NET Web Form Designer.
//

InitializeComponent();
base.OnInit(e);

}

/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
private void InitializeComponent()
{
this.Load += new System.EventHandler(this.Page_Load);

}
#endregion

protected void rptCommissionTable_ItemDataBound(object sender,
System.Web.UI.WebControls.RepeaterItemEventArgs e)
{
DataRowView data = (DataRowView)e.Item.DataItem;
if(e.Item.ItemType == ListItemType.Item || e.Item.ItemType ==
ListItemType.AlternatingItem)
{
if(this.commisionTableRowCount % 2 == 0)
{
//e.Item.Controls.RemoveAt(2);
}
else
{
HtmlTableCell carrierCell = new HtmlTableCell();

GlobalRadioButton grb = new GlobalRadioButton();
grb.Text = data["Carrier"].ToString();
grb.GroupName = this.ID + "_radiogroup";

carrierCell.RowSpan = 2;
carrierCell.Controls.Add(grb);
//carrierCell.InnerText = data["Carrier"].ToString();
((HtmlTableRow)e.Item.Controls[1]).Cells.Insert(0,carrierCell);

Well, I copied this code into a ASPX and did two things:

1) Called BindCommissionRepeater() from Page_Load
2) Commented out the references to GlobalRadioButton

And it worked fine. I'm not sure what the real problem is then :(

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen



[quoted text, click to view]