How can I display records in multiple tables dynamically using repeater or datalist control in ASP.NET?

Question

What I would like to do is show the records I get in datatable in different HTML tables. The records in the datatable have 3 columns and I can have a max of 6 records.

The datatable I am getting from the database is as follows:

Name   Age
-----------  
XYZ    30

XY1    31

XY2    32

XY3    33 

And I want to show the records in the following way:

Name   Age   Name   Age
-----------------------
XYZ    30    XY1    31

Name   Age   Name   Age
-----------------------     
XY2    32    XY3    33


Total Strength of employees : 4

What I am currently doing is as follows (although this is not what I want, but have tried):

<asp:Repeater ID="RptNCode" runat="server" OnItemCommand="RptNcode_ItemCommand" 
  OnItemDataBound="RptNCode_ItemDataBound" >
    <HeaderTemplate>
    <tr style="background-color: #507CD1; color: 
    White; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; height: 20px">
            <td style="color: White;">
                Sr.No
            </td>
            <td style="color: White; text-align: left">
                Name
            </td>
            <td style="color: White; text-align: right">
                 Age 
            </td>
        </tr>
    </HeaderTemplate>
    <ItemTemplate>
   <tr style="background-color: #ffffff; height: 20px; font-family: Arial">

            <td align="left" style="font-size: 15;">
                <asp:LinkButton ID="lnkNCode" ForeColor="#336699" runat="server" Text='<%# Eval("Name") %>'
                    CommandArgument='<%# Eval("Name") %>' CommandName="NCode"></asp:LinkButton>
            </td>
            <td align="center" style="font-size: 15; text-align: right;">
                <%#  Eval("Age")%>

            </td>
        </tr>
    </ItemTemplate>
    <AlternatingItemTemplate>
        <tr style="background-color: #ffffff; height: 20px; font-family: Arial">

            <td align="left" style="font-size: 15;">
                <asp:LinkButton ID="lnkNCode" ForeColor="#336699" runat="server" Text='<%# Eval("Name") %>'
                    CommandArgument='<%# Eval("Name") %>' CommandName="NCode"></asp:LinkButton>
            </td>
            <td align="center" style="font-size: 15; text-align: right;">
                <%#  Eval("Age")%>

            </td>
        </tr>
    </AlternatingItemTemplate>
    <FooterTemplate>
        <tr>

            <td align="right" height="40px">
                <asp:Label ID="lblTotal" runat="server" Font-Bold="true" ForeColor="#336699"></asp:Label>

            </td>
        </tr>
    </FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

I know this is not correct but it is what I have done so far. Is what I am trying to do possible or not?

Thanks.

Answer 1

You are actually pretty close with what you have now. The trick is when you close off your table rows. Try something more like this:

<asp:Repeater ID="RptNCode" runat="server"
    OnItemCommand="RptNcode_ItemCommand" 
    OnItemDataBound="RptNCode_ItemDataBound">
    <HeaderTemplate>
        <table>
    </HeaderTemplate>
    <ItemTemplate>
        <tr>
            <td>
                Name
            </td>
            <td>
                Age
            </td>
            <td>
                Name
            </td>
            <td>
                Age
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>
                <%# Eval("Name") %>
            </td>
            <td>
                <%# Eval("Age") %>
            </td>
    </ItemTemplate>
    <AlternatingItemTemplate>                
            <td>
                <%# Eval("Name") %>
            </td>
            <td>
                <%# Eval("Age") %>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </AlternatingItemTemplate>            
    <FooterTemplate>
        </table>
    </FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

Notice how the AlternatingItemTemplate keeps the same table row going for another two columns, placing the next record in your datatable on the same row. Then when it reaches the ItemTemplate again, it adds another row of header information and starts all over again.