Remembering state of datalist controls

hello,

I have a datalist control. Each item has a checkbox and each checkbox has possible options that are shown as a radio button list when the user checks the box. i have a button later in the form for adding a file to the entry which causes a post back. now when this happens i lose my state from the checkboxes and such.

Is there an easy way to keep the posted data from my datalist?

i have done a similar thing on this same page that saves the filenames and ids and such of each file that is added as a string collection(delimeted with ",") to a structure stored as a session variable.


If Session.Item("smsg") Is Nothing Then
smsg.StrFileCol = New StringCollection
smsg.StrFlagCol = New StringCollection
Session.Add("smsg", smsg)
smsg = CType(Session.Item("smsg"), SM_Message)
Else
smsg = CType(Session.Item("smsg"), SM_Message)
'Me.txtTitle.Text = smsg.MessageTitle.ToString
If Not (smsg.StrFlagCol.Count = 0) Then

End If
If Not (smsg.StrFileCol.Count = 0) Then
For i As Integer = 0 To smsg.StrFileCol.Count - 1
Dim item As New ListItem
Dim str() As String = Split(smsg.StrFileCol(i), ",")
'0 location
'1 name
'2 caption
'3 type
'4 id
item.Text = str(1).ToString
item.Value = str(4).ToString
Me.lboxFileUpload.Items.Add(item)

Next
End If



' i initially thought i could handle the flags in a way similar to this
'i should be able to create a string for the flag collection that is "," delimeted with 0 being flag name, 1 checked or not, 2 index of radio thats clicked

'For Each ctrl As Control In Me.dlFlags.Controls
' Dim ckbx As CheckBox
' ckbx = CType(ctrl, CheckBox)

' If Request.Form(ckbx.ID) = "Checked" Then
' ckbx.Checked = True

' End If



'Next




If anyone has ever done a similar method for an order form or survey etc. I would very much appreciate the insight.

Im really not sure how i would do this in a repeated control

Thanks in advance
DrewG

Ive tried adusting this a bit

im now loading the flag stringcollection like so


For Each itm As DataListItem In Me.dlFlags.Items
Dim chkbx As CheckBox = CType(itm.FindControl("chkFlag"), CheckBox)
Dim rdos As RadioButtonList = CType(itm.FindControl("rdoparam"), RadioButtonList)
Dim str As String = ""
If chkbx.Checked = True Then
If Not (rdos.SelectedIndex = -1) Then
str = chkbx.Text & ","
str &= rdos.SelectedValue
Else
str = chkbx.Text & ","
str &= 0
End If
smsg.StrFlagCol.Add(str)
End If
Next



and im attempting to check the values on databind like so


Protected Sub dlFlags_ItemDataBound(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataListItemEventArgs) Handles dlFlags.ItemDataBound

Dim chk As CheckBox = CType(e.Item.FindControl("chkFlag"), CheckBox)
Dim xDs As XmlDataSource = xmldsflagparams
Dim hdn As HiddenField = CType(e.Item.FindControl("hdnFlagId"), HiddenField)

Dim rdo As RadioButtonList = CType(e.Item.FindControl("rdoparam"), RadioButtonList)
xDs.XPath = "//flag[@id='" & hdn.Value & "']//param"
rdo.DataSourceID = ""
rdo.DataSource = xDs
rdo.DataBind()
Dim spn As HtmlGenericControl = CType(e.Item.FindControl("spanradiolist"), HtmlGenericControl)
If Not (smsg.StrFlagCol.Count = 0) Then
For Each flag As String In smsg.StrFlagCol
Dim strflag() As String = Split(flag, ",")
If strflag(0) = chk.Text Then
chk.Checked = True
End If
If strflag(1) > 0 Then
rdo.SelectedValue = strflag(1)
spn.Style.Value = "display:inline;"
End If

Next
End If


unfortunately the state of the datalist is identical to the first page load

here's a shortened verison of the page load method

Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
If Not Page.IsPostBack Then
Dim strid As String = Request.QueryString("q")
If Not (strid Is Nothing) Then
If ISCaptain(strid) Then
If CheckUser(strid) Then
StartPage(strid)
Me.pnlAddEntry.Visible = True
Session.Item("smsg") = Nothing
If Session.Item("smsg") Is Nothing Then
smsg.MessageId = New Guid(strid)
smsg.StrFileCol = New StringCollection
smsg.StrFlagCol = New StringCollection
Session.Add("smsg", smsg)
smsg = CType(Session.Item("smsg"), SM_Message)
End If

Else
Me.pnlUnAuth.Visible = True
Me.pnlAddEntry.Visible = False
End If
Else

Me.pnlCaptain.Visible = True
Me.pnlAddEntry.Visible = False
End If
End If
Else
Me.pnlAddEntry.Visible = True

If Session.Item("smsg") Is Nothing Then
smsg.StrFileCol = New StringCollection
smsg.StrFlagCol = New StringCollection
Session.Add("smsg", smsg)
smsg = CType(Session.Item("smsg"), SM_Message)
Else
smsg = CType(Session.Item("smsg"), SM_Message)
'Me.txtTitle.Text = smsg.MessageTitle.ToString
If Not (smsg.StrFlagCol.Count = 0) Then

End If
If Not (smsg.StrFileCol.Count = 0) Then
For i As Integer = 0 To smsg.StrFileCol.Count - 1
Dim item As New ListItem
Dim str() As String = Split(smsg.StrFileCol(i), ",")
'0 location
'1 name
'2 caption
'3 type
'4 id
item.Text = str(1).ToString
item.Value = str(4).ToString
Me.lboxFileUpload.Items.Add(item)
Next
End If

End If
End If
End Sub


it appears that strflagcol is always returning a 0 value??

thanks