separating line by line from textbox with textmode=multiline

hollystyles 113 Veteran Poster · 2007-03-30T01:07:38+00:00

Consider using a ListBox web control.

1. You supply the options for the user to choose rather than free type (free text is always a validation headache for you to keep sh** out of your db)

2. ListBox has a multiselect mode (user can use shift or ctrl key to select more than one option if you set the property to true)

3. You can iterate the ListBox as it implements IEnumarable, which has gotta be easier than parsing a fat wedge of text from a textarea (which is what a multiline textbox is rendered as to the client)

Example code:

the aspx page

<%@ Page Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true"  CodeFile="Default.aspx.cs" Inherits="_Default" %>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" >
<head runat="server">
    <title>Untitled Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <form id="form1" runat="server">
    <div>
        <asp:ListBox ID="lstOptions" runat="server" SelectionMode="Multiple">
            <asp:ListItem Value="Option1" Text="Option1"></asp:ListItem>
            <asp:ListItem Value="Option2" Text="Option2"></asp:ListItem>
            <asp:ListItem Value="Option3" Text="Option3"></asp:ListItem>
            <asp:ListItem Value="Option4" Text="Option4"></asp:ListItem>
        </asp:ListBox>
        <asp:Button ID="btnSubmit" runat="server" Text="Submit" OnClick="btnSubmit_Click" />
        <br />
        <asp:Repeater ID="rprChoices" runat="server">
            <HeaderTemplate><ul></HeaderTemplate>
                <ItemTemplate><li><%# Container.DataItem %></li></ItemTemplate>
            <FooterTemplate></ul></FooterTemplate>
        </asp:Repeater>
    </div>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

the code behind

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Configuration;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Security;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
using System.Web.UI.HtmlControls;
using System.Collections.Specialized;

public partial class _Default : System.Web.UI.Page 
{
    protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {

    }
    protected void btnSubmit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        //declare an array to hold the selected options
        StringCollection options = new StringCollection();

        //iterate through the list items in the list box
        foreach (ListItem item in lstOptions.Items)
        {
            //if the item was selected by the user this 
            //store it in our array
            if(item.Selected)
                options.Add(item.Value);
        }

        //I am merely confirming the choices back to the client
        //this is where you would save the contents of options
        //to your database.
        rprChoices.DataSource = options;
        rprChoices.DataBind();
    }
}
;

shy_wani 0 Light Poster · 2007-03-30T16:16:07+00:00

thanks for your help..
so...i must use listbox ya? hehe..thanks
but...
this is c#...
can u write in vb.net?

huhu....

hollystyles 113 Veteran Poster · 2007-03-30T16:28:11+00:00

can u write in vb.net?

Yes thanks, but personally I find typing VB syntax akin to scraping honey off a teaspoon, whereas typing c# syntax is more like licking it off! IYKWIM.

for example:

StringCollection options = new StringCollection(); //MMMm MMmm baby!

Dim options As New StringCollection() 'wordy wordy yuck!

shy_wani 0 Light Poster · 2007-03-30T16:35:05+00:00

hehe....thanks ya hollystyles..
may God bless u...

shy_wani 0 Light Poster · 2007-03-30T17:04:40+00:00

aiyak..
but what if i want user to enter their choices...

my program is like...
i want to create a survey creator system..
user will enter their question..1 question may have more than 1 answers...
i want user to enter their choices..one question per line, then i'm gonna save the option line by line as list of options into my database b4 the system generate the template..

so..right now, my problem is to reaa line by line text in the textbox..and to save the list of options into database..

can u help me?

hollystyles 113 Veteran Poster · 2007-03-30T18:30:47+00:00

Oh dear, fussy fussy :cheesy:

Ok I add a TextBox for the user to add their free text and an add button that adds there text to the ListBox on postback.

<%@ Page Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true"  CodeFile="Default.aspx.cs" Inherits="_Default" %>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" >
<head runat="server">
    <title>Untitled Page</title>
</head>
<body>
    <form id="form1" runat="server">
    <div>
        <asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server" Width="280" MaxLength="128"></asp:TextBox>
        <asp:Button ID="btnAdd" runat="server" Text="Add" OnClick="btnAdd_Click" />
        <br />
        <asp:ListBox ID="lstOptions" runat="server" SelectionMode="Multiple" Width="280"></asp:ListBox>
        <asp:Button ID="btnSubmit" runat="server" Text="Submit" OnClick="btnSubmit_Click" />
        
        <asp:Repeater ID="rprChoices" runat="server">
            <HeaderTemplate><ul></HeaderTemplate>
                <ItemTemplate><li><%# Container.DataItem %></li></ItemTemplate>
            <FooterTemplate></ul></FooterTemplate>
        </asp:Repeater>
    </div>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Configuration;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Security;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
using System.Web.UI.HtmlControls;
using System.Collections.Specialized;

public partial class _Default : System.Web.UI.Page 
{
    protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {

    }
    protected void btnSubmit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        //declare an array to hold the selected options
        StringCollection options = new StringCollection();

        //iterate through the list items in the list box
        foreach (ListItem item in lstOptions.Items)
        {
            //store it in our array
            options.Add(item.Value);
        }

        //I am merely confirming the choices back to the client
        //this is where you would save the contents of options
        //to your database.
        rprChoices.DataSource = options;
        rprChoices.DataBind();
    }
    protected void btnAdd_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (TextBox1.Text != string.Empty)
        {
            lstOptions.Items.Add(new ListItem(TextBox1.Text, TextBox1.Text));
            TextBox1.Text = string.Empty;
        }
    }
}

shy_wani 0 Light Poster · 2007-03-30T21:44:43+00:00

dear hollystyles...
this method works....
thank u...
arigatou gozaimas...
hope someday i'll be master in programming... :p

hollystyles 113 Veteran Poster · 2007-03-30T21:56:06+00:00

Ne nadda mi amigo. With bells on !:p