How can you set the selected item in an ASP.NET dropdown via the display text?

Question

I have an ASP.NET dropdown that I\'ve filled via databinding. I have the text that matches the display text for the listitem I want to be selected. I obviously can\'t use Se

Answer 1

If you have to select dropdown selected item text for multiple dropdown cases then use this way.

// Call Method
SelectDropdownItemByText(ddlDropdown.Items.FindByText("test"));

// Define method
public void SelectDropdownItemByText(ListItem item)
{
    if (item != null)
    {
        item.Selected = true;
    }
}

Answer 2

You can try:

ddItems.Items.FindByText("Hello, World!").Selected = true;

Or:

ddItems.SelectedValue = ddItems.Items.FindByText("Hello, World!").Value;

Note that, if you are not certain that an items exists matching your display text, you may need to check the results of FindByText() for null.

Note that I use the first approach on a multiple-select list, such as a CheckBoxList to add an additional selection. I use the second approach to override all selections.

Answer 3

Its working fine ..

drplistcountry.SelectedIndex = 
drplistcountry.Items.IndexOf(drplistcountry.Items.FindByText("--Select--"));

Or

drplistcountry.ClearSelection();
drplistcountry.SelectedIndex = 
drplistcountry.Items.IndexOf(drplistcountry.Items.FindByText("--Select--"));

Answer 4

Use the FindByText method of the ListItemCollection class, such as:

ListItem itemToSelect = ddlItems.Items.FindByText("some text to match");

if(itemToSelect != null)
{
    itemToSelect.Selected = true;
}