How to bind SharePoint:FormField with data coming from a string array on server side?

Question

<SharePoint:FormField 
                runat="server" 
                ID="field_Domain" 
                ControlMode="New" 
                FieldName="Domain"/>

I want to fill the formfield above with data comming from an array of string. The context: a list custom form (New), sharepoint 2010.

The control is part of the .ascx of a webpart used to create a list custom new form. The data processing is done in the code behind (.cs).

Answer 1

I'm not sure what you mean by "business" (I'm also still new at sharepoint). But you can always update or add items to dropdowns by Javascript.

Something like this:

ReplaceDropDown = function() {
    var apiCallUrl = '/_api/web/lists/getbytitle(\'Your List\')/items?$top=1000';   
    $.ajax({
        url: apiCallUrl,
        method: "GET",
        headers: {
            "Accept": "application/json; odata=verbose",
            "content-type": "application/json;odata=verbose",
            "X-RequestDigest": $("#__REQUESTDIGEST").val()
        },

        success: function(jsonData){
            if(jsonData.d.results[0] != null){  
                $("[title='Member Association']").empty();                      
                for (var i = 0; i < jsonData.d.results.length; i++) {
                    var selectedHTM = (currentId == jsonData.d.results[i].ID) ? 'selected="selected"': '';
                    $("[title='Your List']").append('<option ' + selectedHTM + 'value="' + jsonData.d.results[i].ID + '">' + jsonData.d.results[i].Title + '</option>');
                }

            }   
        },
        error: function(data){
            console.log("An error occured..." + data.responseText);
        }   
    });     
}

This is an example where you load the content of the dropdown out of another SP List with a REST Call.

Answer 2

As per my knowledge i can suggest you these 2 methods. But if you have better one then please let me know also.

1) You should try saving that array with some special characters like '*' or something in the HiddenField and later on split that value using that special character and bind your dropdown. In this case if you are not getting value from hidden field as your HiddenField will be server control then try delaying you javascript method. To read server control's value you have use its ClientID.

2) OR else you have create a REST/Webservice which will return that Array of string then call that Service and on success bind your dropdown.

Answer 3

You can use the Field property of the form field (field_Domain) which returns an SPField object and cast it to your actual field type on the form and then set the values from your string array.