Yearly Archives: 2013

Infragistics WebSplitter: Set SplitterBar’s CSS class in clinet-side JavaScript

Hello there. Haven’t written in a while, been busy participating in Stack Overflow community, but this little bit I found interesting.

Infragistics has a cool versatile Web Splitter control in their ASP.NET suite, but recently I encountered a shortcoming – there’s no way to set a CSS class for splitter bar on client-side via JavaScript. On server-side you can do something like

xMySplitter.SplitterBar.CssClass = "hiddenElement";

On client-side – you can get the CSS class via

var sCss = $find('xMySplitter').get_splitterBarCss()

but there’s no counterpart set_splitterBarCss() method. Continue reading →

Solution for SqlDataReader.ReadColumnHeader NullReferenceException

This post related to the previous one, but I decided to write a separate article because it seems to be a common problem.

Sometimes when you use SqlDataReader, you would get an exception:

NullReferenceException {“Object reference not set to an instance of an object.”}
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.ReadColumnHeader(Int32 i)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.ReadColumn(Int32 i, Boolean setTimeout)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader.GetInt32(Int32 i)

And the maddening thing – it doesn’t happen often, just every once in a while. And it happens at different times too, sometimes reader would read 100 records, sometimes 200 etc.

One possible case – SqlDataReader is losing its connection. And one possible reason for that – connection goes out of scope.

Consider following scenario – you have a function that returns SqlDataReader:

Function GetTheReader() as SqlDataReader
   Dim oConn As New SqlConnection("Connection String") : oConn.Open()
   Dim oComm As New SqlCommand("Stored Procedure", oConn)

   Dim oReader As SqlDataReader = oComm.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.CloseConnection)

   Return oReader
End Function

And you use it like this:

Dim oReader as SqlDataReader = GetTheReader()
'Begin use reader - loop, read data etc.

The problem with this approach that connection used to create the reader is stored in a private variable inside of `GetTheReader` function and when the function exits – the variable goes out of scope. Eventually, sooner or later Garbage Collector will collect it and close and dispose of connection – and at this time your SqlDataReader will fail.

The solution? Either use SqlDataReader at the same scope level you created it, or, if you do need to use function – pass connection object into it as one of the parameters, so it would remain valid after function exits.

When SqlDataReader is missing rows

I have a very basic scenario:

  1. Execute TSQL Stored procedure
  2. Return a DataReader
  3. Read data from the Reader

This is ADO.NET 101. There is one problem: DataReader loses rows. This problem has haunted me forever, extensive research and numerous suggestion didn’t help, even though the code is extremely basic:

Get the reader:

m_dbSel.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
m_dbSel.CommandText = "SP_Name"
oResult = m_dbSel.ExecuteReader()

Pass the reader to class constructor to fill Generic List (of Integer): 

Public Sub New(i_oDataReader As Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader)

    m_aFullIDList = New Generic.List(Of Integer)

    While i_oDataReader.Read
        m_aFullIDList.Add(i_oDataReader.GetInt32(0))
    End While

    m_iTotalNumberOfRecords = m_aFullIDList.Count

End Sub

This problem occurs when number of rows returned by the reader is relatively large (over 600,000 records). If this happens – number of rows added to the list from the reader is inconsistent, but always less than real one. Most often “magic” number of 524289 rows is returned.

Well, this is no longer a mystery, thanks to the great people from Stack Overflow @RBarryYoung, @granadaCoder and especially @MartinSmith who was the first to point me in the right direction – and here it is.

Even though the problem is with SqlDataReader – it is happening because it is used in conjunction with Generic List. List, as you may know has a flexible Capacity for number of elements it can store. When count of elements exceeds capacity – capacity increases and always to a power of 2. E.g.

When the count exceeds 4 elements – capacity is set to 8 (2^3)
When the count exceeds 8 elements – capacity is set to 16 (2^4)
When the count exceeds 16 elements – capacity is set to 32 (2^5)

etc..

This is what makes Generic List such a powerful tool, used by many large scale .NET projects, e.g. bingogodz.com. And ordinary this is not a problem. Unfortunately this is not the case when it is used together with SqlDataReader. When count of items in the List exceeds 524,288 (2^19) and its capacity is set to 1,048,576 (2^20) – SqlDataReader’s Read method suddenly returns False even though not all records have been read. No exception is thrown, it simple stops.

The only possible workaround I’ve found so far (I am still looking for better ones) is to pre-set List capacity in advance. Since, when using DataReader, you do not know number of rows, you’re left either with hardcoding the number or running another DB query to retrieve number of rows via something like COUNT(*). Like I said, I don’t like this workaround, please let me know if you find a better one.

UPDATE: Finally figured it out: http://stackoverflow.com/a/18520609/961695

WebHierarchicalDataGrid: get_scrollTop() returns incorrect value

Infragistics WebHierarchicalDataGrid has a neat client-side built-in function get_scrollTop() – it is used if at any point you need to retrieve current vertical scroll position of the grid (e.g. to use it in your own calculations to display something at a specific position on the grid – tooltip, help, additional info etc.)

Unfortunately the function has a bug: its value only set if user actually manually scrolls the grid: using mouse and scrollbar on the right, keyboard etc. If no scrolling user-interaction is involved and scroll position changes due to other means (e.g. displayed data size changes) – the function retains original value, throwing all your calculation out of whack. Continue reading →

ADO.NET DataTable: Change Column DataType after table is populated with data

Sometimes there is a need to change DataType of ADO.NET DataTable column. If your table is populated as a result of some database operation – you don’t know in advance what type the columns will be. And by design you cannot change the type of the column after the table is populated. Conudrum. Catch 22. Tough luck.

But wait, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. You cannot change the type of the existing column, but you can create a new one. Continue reading →

Locket: Get paid just for unlocking your screen

Get Locket

This is actually very cool, the company called Locket had a very novel idea: What do million of Android users do most often with their phones? Play games? Browse the Web? No! Unlock the phone.

That Lock screen is a prime real estate and they decided – why not display beautiful ads there? And the ads are very good indeed, a lot better than most wallpapers I’ve seen. And for every unlock swipe you get 1 cent. You’re doing it dozens times a day anyway – why not get paid for it?

Locket is an Android app that replaces your lock screen.

From the site:

Here’s How Locket Works:

Open your phone, and you’ll see an ad.

Swipe Left
to engage with an ad, claim a deal or watch a trailer.

or

Swipe Right
to go straight to your phone like you always do.

Either way, you get paid. Because the lock screen is the most valuable space in advertising. And you own it.

Join the club! Get Locket.

Disable WebDataTree in client-side JavaScript

Let’s say you’re using Infrafitics WebDataTree’s server-side SelectionChanged event to perform some action when user selects a tree node. Now let’s say there’re times when you need to disable tree-selection (for example another control, e.g. WebDataGrid is being updated and clicking tree node during update will mess things up). Also you need to do it in client-side JavaScript (e.g. if that second control is inside of UpdatePanel – server-side updates will not affect controls outside the panel).

What to do? WebDataTree doesn’t have CSOM set_enabled() method and if you use client-side DOM’s:

$find('xMyTree').get_element().setAttribute('disabled','true');

tree may take appearance of being disabled in some browsers, but user can still select nodes.

Fortunately there is a solution (thanks Bhadresh from Infragisitcs techsupport for suggesting it). WebDataTree has SelectionType property (0 = None, 1 = Single, 2 = Multiple) that controls how many nodes can be selected in the tree. It also has a counterpart in client-side JavaScript set_selectionType(), so in order to disable selection simple use command

$find('xMyTree').set_selectionType(0);

Later on selection can be re-enabled either by passing 1 to above function or even server-side by calling

xMyTree.SelectionType = NavigationControls.NodeSelectionTypes.Single

Solution for IE10 error: SCRIPT5022: Sys.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Value must be an integer

If you’re testing your ASP.NET project in Internet Explorer 10, you may encounter following error:

SCRIPT5022: Sys.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Value must be an integer.
Parameter name: (x or y)
Actual value was (some floating point value)
ScriptResource.axd, line … character …

Often it come up when you use some 3rd party libraries, Telerik or Infragistics (in my case it happened in WebDataMenu control).

Here why it happens. Continue reading →

Access your PC files remotely via SkyDrive on mobile device

If you use Microsoft Skydrive application on your Windows machine, you know that besides syncing local dedicated Skydrive folder to the cloud it allows accessing your PC files directly (without uploading them to the cloud) from remote location. Unfortunately this feature is available for desktops only, mobile apps are “by design” missing it.

But what prevents you from logging into Skydrive Website directly from a mobile Web browser?

Skydrive In Mobile Chrome

After authorizing yourself with security code you’re in! Albeit this is not as convenient as a native app would be, but until “design” changes this approach allows you to access your PC’s files without installing any additional software on the PC and without downloading any additional app to the device.

Solution for WebHierarchicalDataGrid’s “Async request failed” error

This is a solution for specific (and maybe somewhat obscure, but it helped me, so perhaps it will be helpful to someone else) scenario for Infragistics’ WebHierarchicalDataGrid error “Async request failed“.

It could be accompanied by inner errors

Failed to load viewstate. The control tree into which viewstate is being loaded must match the control tree that was used to save viewstate during the previous request

or more generic

Object Reference not set

In this particular scenario WHDG uses manual LoadOnDemand for to populate children (i.e. RowIslandPopulating event is used) and parent grid is sorted by one or more columns. Error is happening when attempting to expand second child or a grandchild. Continue reading →