Setting dropdownlist selecteditem programmatically

Question

I want to set the selecteditem attribute for an ASP.Net dropdownlist control programmatically.

So I want to pass a value to the dropdownlist control to set the selected item where the item is equal to the passed value.

Do you mean myList.SelectedValue = someStringValue;?

kbrimington
– kbrimington

2010-08-16 19:16:10 +00:00
Commented Aug 16, 2010 at 19:16 — kbrimington
– kbrimington, Commented Aug 16, 2010 at 19:16

Majid · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-25 07:26:04Z

100

Assuming the list is already data bound you can simply set the SelectedValue property on your dropdown list.

list.DataSource = GetListItems(); // <-- Get your data from somewhere.
list.DataValueField = "ValueProperty";
list.DataTextField = "TextProperty";
list.DataBind();

list.SelectedValue = myValue.ToString();

The value of the myValue variable would need to exist in the property specified within the DataValueField in your controls databinding.

UPDATE: If the value of myValue doesn't exist as a value with the dropdown list options it will default to select the first option in the dropdown list.

edited Jul 25, 2014 at 7:26

Majid

14.3k16 gold badges81 silver badges117 bronze badges

answered Aug 16, 2010 at 19:17

Wallace Breza

4,9482 gold badges30 silver badges33 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

chris4600 Over a year ago

No, SelectedValue is not read-only: "Gets the value of the selected item in the list control, or selects the item in the list control that contains the specified value."

ptf Over a year ago

This did just work for me, it chose which element should be pre-selected base on what value I gave .SelectedValue.

Majid · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-17 06:03:31Z

63

ddlData.SelectedIndex will contain the int value To select the specific value into DropDown :

ddlData.SelectedIndex=ddlData.Items.IndexOf(ddlData.Items.FindByText("value"));

return type of ddlData.Items.IndexOf(ddlData.Items.FindByText("value")); is int.

edited Jun 17, 2013 at 6:03

Majid

14.3k16 gold badges81 silver badges117 bronze badges

answered Aug 17, 2010 at 5:23

PrateekSaluja

15k17 gold badges57 silver badges75 bronze badges

Comments

Majid · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-17 06:38:15Z

28

Here is the code I was looking for :

DDL.SelectedIndex = DDL.Items.IndexOf(DDL.Items.FindByText("PassedValue"));

Or

DDL.SelectedIndex = DDL.Items.IndexOf(DDL.Items.FindByValue("PassedValue"));

edited Jun 17, 2013 at 6:38

Majid

14.3k16 gold badges81 silver badges117 bronze badges

answered Aug 16, 2010 at 20:12

Eyla

5,88120 gold badges74 silver badges118 bronze badges

1 Comment

Wallace Breza Over a year ago

That's basically doing the same thing with more code. Even if the selected value doesn't exist as an item in the list it defaults to the first option as its selected value.

Renjith · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-09 04:36:51Z

5

Well if I understood correctly your question. The Solution for setting the value for a given dropdownlist will be:

dropdownlist1.Text="Your Value";

This will work only if the value is existing in the data-source of the dropdownlist.

edited May 9, 2013 at 4:36

Renjith

5,8039 gold badges33 silver badges42 bronze badges

answered May 9, 2013 at 4:13

maxspan

14.3k16 gold badges79 silver badges115 bronze badges

Comments

Craig Curtis · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-02 23:36:33Z

4

If you need to select your list item based on an expression:

foreach (ListItem listItem in list.Items)
{
    listItem.Selected = listItem.Value.Contains("some value");
}

answered Jan 2, 2014 at 23:36

Craig Curtis

86110 silver badges24 bronze badges

Comments

Chidi-Nwaneto · Accepted Answer · 2019-12-05 08:11:22Z

3

Just Use this oneliner:

divisions.Items.FindByText("Some Text").Selected = true;
divisions.Items.FindByValue("some value").Selected = true;

where divisions is a dropdownlist control.

Hope it helps someone.

answered Dec 5, 2019 at 8:11

Chidi-Nwaneto

6557 silver badges12 bronze badges

1 Comment

JohnLiz15 Over a year ago

You helped me , thanks you very much for this

Latency · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-17 23:35:30Z

1

var index = ctx.Items.FirstOrDefault(item => Equals(item.Value, Settings.Default.Format_Encoding));
ctx.SelectedIndex = ctx.Items.IndexOf(index);

OR

foreach (var listItem in ctx.Items)
  listItem.Selected = Equals(listItem.Value as Encoding, Settings.Default.Format_Encoding);

Should work.. especially when using extended RAD controls in which FindByText/Value doesn't even exist!

edited Dec 17, 2014 at 23:35

answered Dec 17, 2014 at 23:30

Latency

4463 silver badges15 bronze badges

Comments

HebeleHododo · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-21 12:18:51Z

1

ddList.Items.FindByText("oldValue").Selected = false;
ddList.Items.FindByText("newValue").Selected = true;

edited Dec 21, 2016 at 12:18

HebeleHododo

3,6361 gold badge32 silver badges39 bronze badges

answered Dec 21, 2016 at 11:10

A. Obeid

192 bronze badges

1 Comment

Artemix Over a year ago

Welcome to StackOverflow. To make your answer bett - add some comments to a code you posted. Posting a block of code without any explanations is not a proper answer.

Parag Devghare · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-27 07:02:55Z

0

On load of My Windows Form the comboBox will display the ClassName column of my DataTable as it's the DisplayMember also has its ValueMember (not visible to user) with it.

private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
            {
                this.comboBoxSubjectCName.DataSource = this.Student.TableClass;
                this.comboBoxSubjectCName.DisplayMember = TableColumn.ClassName;//Column name that will be the DisplayMember
                this.comboBoxSubjectCName.ValueMember = TableColumn.ClassID;//Column name that will be the ValueMember
            }

answered Aug 27, 2018 at 7:02

Parag Devghare

406 bronze badges

Comments

mike · Accepted Answer · 2018-09-23 04:58:46Z

0

Safety check to only select if an item is matched.

//try to find item in list.  
ListItem oItem = DDL.Items.FindByValue("PassedValue"));
//if exists, select it.
if (oItem != null) oItem.Selected = true;

answered Sep 23, 2018 at 4:58

mike

2,33824 silver badges34 bronze badges

Comments

aspjava · Accepted Answer · 2023-12-25 13:04:22Z

0

i think this is the best solution

drpGroups.SelectedValue = drpGroups.Items[0].Value.ToString();

answered Dec 25, 2023 at 13:04

aspjava

1

Comments

Jeetendra Negi · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-28 20:01:24Z

-1

            ddlemployee.DataSource = ds.Tables[0];
            ddlemployee.DataTextField = "Employee Name";
            ddlemployee.DataValueField = "RecId";
            ddlemployee.DataBind();
            ddlemployee.Items.Insert(0, "All");

answered Jul 28, 2015 at 20:01

Jeetendra Negi

4534 silver badges3 bronze badges

1 Comment

user585968 Over a year ago

Consider improving your answer. Code-only answers may fall under 'Very Low Quality' ...and are candidates for deletion....We've always touted that we aren't a code factory. We are the people who teach others to fish. Code-only answers only feed a person for a day

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Setting dropdownlist selecteditem programmatically

12 Answers 12

2 Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

12 Answers 12

2 Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Comments

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related