Bind CheckBoxList using AJAX

[Ana D.]

Hi,

I'm new using AJAX and I'm developing a page where I need to populate a CheckBoxList based on what the user types (it's like an AutoSuggest). I don't know how to bind the checkboxlist from the database using AJAX.
My code in VB.NET is something like this:

Dim DatabaseConnection As New SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("MyServer").ConnectionString)
        Dim selectSQL As String = "SELECT Name, Id FROM myTable"
        Dim selectCMD As New SqlCommand(selectSQL, DatabaseConnection)
        selectCMD.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter("@name", SqlDbType.VarChar))
        selectCMD.Parameters("@name").Value = MyTextBox.Text

        Dim adapter As New SqlDataAdapter
        Dim dTable As New DataTable
        adapter.SelectCommand = selectCMD
        adapter.Fill(dTable)

        MyCheckBoxList.DataSource = dTable
        MyCheckBoxList.DataTextField = "Name"
        MyCheckBoxList.DataValueField = "Id"
        MyCheckBoxList.DataBind()

I think the binding in Ajax would be similar to this, but I don't know. Please, can anyone help me with this?

Thanks a lot!

Ana

[Airshow]

Mmmm "bind". It's one of those Microsoftish words they use in 101 different ways.

What does it mean here? The VB means just about diddly to me.

Airshow

[Ana D.]

What I mean for bind is retrieve the values from the Database based on what the user typed and put this values on the CheckBoxList. In other words, the items in the CheckBoxList will be the values retrieved from the Database.
Is there any way to do this using AJAX?

[Airshow]

OK, subsidiary question - what is a "CheckBoxList"?

Remember this is the Javascript/DHTML/AJAX forum so we tend to speak standard HTML here.

Airshow

[Ana D.]

Forget about it! Maybe I don't need to "bind using AJAX" because it's only put my TextBox and CheckBoxList inside an UpdatePanel (using ASP.NET). Sorry about the question (this is that kind of questions beginners ask when don't understand everything very well :)
I think my question would be more like... how to make the CheckBoxList to be populated when the user start typing something in the TextBox? In other words... how to implement the AutoSuggest?

Thanks again,

Ana

[Airshow]

Ana,

Sorry, I didn't mean to put you off. I'm sure it's a perfectly reasonable question - just a mater of getting the terminology right for non-VB/ASP folks.

Airshow

[Ana D.]

No worries. I wrote my previous comment before reading your post, so you didn't put me off.
I think this question is more a ASP.NET/AJAX.NET question =)
But if you have any suggestions of how to implement the AutoSuggest using Ajax/JavaScript in a simple way (I'm beginner in AJAX/Javascript and sometimes it's difficult to understand some codes...), please let me know.
Thanks,

Ana

[Airshow]

Ana,

I've used AJAX for several things but not autosuggest. I guess it's fairly trivial given that an appropriate database is available.

Try searching Daniweb for "autosuggest ajax" - there are plenty of results. Maybe one of them will point you in the right direction, though many of the solutions discussed seem to employ PHP server-side rather than ASP. You will probably need to read between the lines.

There are several AJAX tutorials on the web. Google/Altavista will reveal all.

Good luck.

Airshow

[Ana D.]

Hi Airshow,

Thanks a lot for your replies. Because I'm using ASP.NET what I did was include my textBox and CheckBoxList inside an Update Panel and, using javascript, make a postback happens at every typed letter. And to each letter entered, I called a procedure to bind the CheckBoxList. And now it's working.
But as I said before, this is more an ASP.NET question than a javascript one. Anyways... the fact is that the problem is solved now =)

Thanks again,

Ana

[Airshow]

That's brilliant Ana. I'm so pleased for you.

Airshow

[chinnudhilip]

how do i add my checkbox list in ajax panel