Show Field But Do Not Allow Editing

Article
2009-01-23

Question

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 2:50 PM}

Is it possible to make a field "un-editable" without having to hide it using Dynamic Data? I would like a field to be displayed to the user, but I don't want them to be able to edit it. Is there something I can do in the Custom Edit.aspx or Partial Class for that table?

Thanks for any advice.

All replies (16)

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 3:12 PM ✅Answered}

Linq to SQL hides PK, but you can display them with [ScaffoldColumn(true)]

If you annotate the entity partial class to display the PK and edit an entity, the PK is displayed read-only. That looks like the behavior you want. I'll find out how Dynamic Data knows to make the PK R/O.

One approach would be to copy DynamicData\FieldTemplates\Text.ascx to TextRO_Edit, then annotate you partial class with a UIHInt to use TextRO. On edit, you wouldn't get the edit text box, but the literal.

Stephen also has a tutorial on this. See read only fields DynamicData - Generate Columns/Rows (using IAutoFieldGenerator) - Part 5 listing 5 show a DynamicReadOnlyFiled.

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 4:16 PM ✅Answered}

See this post here noteditable attribute? and my answer there I'm going to blog that answer soon [:D]

oo! here it is now Making a Field Read-Only via the ReadOnlyAttribute – Dynamic Data I said I blog it soon [:D]

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 4:39 PM ✅Answered}

I just tested this with NW and it works fine.

Copy Text.asc to Text_RO.asc
Annotate your partial class entity with UIHint.

Here is the C# version (VB to follow)

 [MetadataType(typeof(ProductMD))]
    public partial class Product {
        public class ProductMD {
            [ScaffoldColumn(false)]
            public object QuantityPerUnit { get; set; }

     //       [ReadOnly(true)]
            [UIHint("Text_RO")]
            public object ProductName { get; set; }
        }
    }

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 4:54 PM ✅Answered}

Here is the VB annotations. Tested and it works. Note: We will probably support the ReadOnly attribute in the next version. It's not currently supported.

Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Web
Imports System.Web.DynamicData
Imports System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Text.RegularExpressions


<MetadataType(GetType(ProductMD))> _
Partial Public Class Product
    
End Class

Public Class ProductMD
    Private _QuantityPerUnit As Object
    <ScaffoldColumn(False)> _
    Public Property QuantityPerUnit() As Object
        Get
            Return _QuantityPerUnit
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Object)
            _QuantityPerUnit = value
        End Set
    End Property
    Private _ProductName As Object

    ' [ReadOnly(true)] 
    <UIHint("Text_RO")> _
    Public Property ProductName() As Object
        Get
            Return _ProductName
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Object)
            _ProductName = value
        End Set
    End Property
End Class

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 5:30 PM ✅Answered}

I just tested with EF and it works fine. You are probably missing the namespace so you have a naked partial class. That's why I added the reality check -

  <ScaffoldColumn(False)>_
    Public Property QuantityPerUnit() As Object
        Get
            Return _QuantityPerUnit
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Object)
            _QuantityPerUnit = value
        End Set
    End Property

if you see the QuantityPerUnit column, your partial class is naked and not working.

>>I just tried the read-only suggestion and it does not work.

Correct, that will be a new feature. It's not working right now.

_{Monday, January 26, 2009 2:44 PM ✅Answered}

Yes, that's why I originally suggested One approach would be to copy DynamicData\FieldTemplates\Text.ascx to TextRO_Edit

As when you copy the control, the code behind file is automatically copied too.

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 4:17 PM}

You can easily mark a field as non-editable (aka readonly) by using a readonly attribute on it (i.e. [ReadOnly(true)])

David

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 4:24 PM}

I think your idea on creating a TextRO_Edit user control would do the trick. The field I want displayed - but not editable is not a primary key, it is just a regular field the user would like to see. They just don't want it to be edited.

Would you happen to know how to set the UIInt to use this TextRo user control in the partial class? I am using Dynamic Data Entity Framework with Visual Basic. My partial class for this table is shown below. Branch is the field I want to have displayed, but not editable. Thanks.

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic

Imports System.Web.DynamicData

Imports System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations

Namespace TeamCapitalAssetsModel

<MetadataType(GetType(CapitalAssetsMetaData))> _

Partial Public Class CapitalAssets

End Class

Public Class CapitalAssetsMetaData <ScaffoldColumn(False)> _

Public CapitalAssetID As Object

<ScaffoldColumn(False)> _

Public ManageEquipmentDescription As Object

Public Branch As Object

End Class

End Namespace

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 5:07 PM}

I just tried the read-only suggestion and it does not work. I am trying the method above now and will post my results shortly. Thank you.

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic

Imports System.Web.DynamicData

Imports System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations

Imports System.ComponentModel

Namespace TestModel

<MetadataType(GetType(ManagePermissionMetaData))> _

Partial Public Class ManagePermission

End Class

Public Class ManagePermissionMetaData

<ScaffoldColumn(False)> _

Public PermissionID As Object

<[ReadOnly](True)> _

Public Branch As Object

End Class

End Namespace

_{Friday, January 23, 2009 5:15 PM}

I am still allowed to update the data for this field. I am using Dynamic Data Entity Framework,, is that why it may not work?

_{Monday, January 26, 2009 2:28 PM}

Ricka6,

I think I figured out my problem. When I originally created the Text_RO.ascx user control, I only created "half". I needed to create both the text_RO.ascx AND Text_RO_Edit.ascx. I then had to make the Text_RO_Edit.ascx a literal just like the Text_RO.ascx. The two user controls work together it appears.

Is this a correct assumption?

Hopefully you will see this post and be able to confirm this question for me and then mark this post as resolved? This was from last Friday.

Thanks for help.

_{Monday, January 26, 2009 3:11 PM}

Yes, it was the fact that I did not include _edit.

Thanks again for your help.

_{Friday, January 15, 2010 7:59 PM}

I just tried the read-only suggestion and it does not work. I am trying the method above now and will post my results shortly. Thank you.

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic

Imports System.Web.DynamicData

Imports System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations

Imports System.ComponentModel

Namespace TestModel

<MetadataType(GetType(ManagePermissionMetaData))> _

Partial Public Class ManagePermission

End Class

Public Class ManagePermissionMetaData

<ScaffoldColumn(False)> _

Public PermissionID As Object

<[ReadOnly](True)> _

Public Branch As Object

End Class

End Namespace

Hi defyant_2004, I tried the ReadOnly attribute and it works perfect. I think you should place the ReadOnly attribute on top of the property in the auto generated data class, not in your own custom class. This is the easiest way to get things done, but the only downside is we are modifying the auto gen class...

_{Friday, January 15, 2010 10:27 PM}

Sorry too quickly to jump to conclusion. Actually the ReadOnly atttribute doesn't seem to work correctly, at least I can't get it to work correctly. It does shows the column with just text string and without textbox in edit and insert, but if you try to hit update it won't work, I guess when user hit the update link it tries to write to the ReadOnly field as well, despite user never change the value for that field (Because it's ReadOnly!). It still doen't work even after comment out the setter for that field in the auto gen class.

Does anyone know how to get this to work? I am using 3.5 SP1, Linq to SQL

_{Saturday, January 16, 2010 4:45 AM}

Hi Zhili, have a look at these articles here : Making a Field Read-Only via the ReadOnlyAttribute – Dynamic Data and Making Individual Tables Read Only – Dynamic Data

_{Monday, June 3, 2013 9:01 PM}

I know this is an old post but just want to update it with another solution in case it helps others. In place of the [ReadOnly(true)] attribute, you can use the [Editable(false)] attribute on the field you want to display but not allow edits on. If you annotate an Entity Reference (i.e. foreign key relationship) with the ReadOnly or Editable attribute, the editable dropdown list on the Edit page gets replaced with a hyperlink.

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Show Field But Do Not Allow Editing

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