I have a template column that includes a dropdownlist and requiredfieldvalidator:

      <asp:DataGrid id="dgEdit" runat="server" CssClass="CostTable" GridLines="none"
          AutoGenerateColumns="false"
        >
        <Columns>
          <asp:TemplateColumn ItemStyle-Width="335px" >
            <ItemTemplate>
              <asp:DropDownList ID="cboCostItem" runat="server" Autopostback="true" />
              <asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="vreqCostItem" runat="server" ControlToValidate="cboCostItem" 
                  Text="*" Display="None" EnableClientScript="false" ErrorMessage="Cost Item is required."
              />
              <asp:Textbox cssClass="txt" ID="txtOtherItem" runat="server" MaxLength="50" />
            </ItemTemplate>
          </asp:TemplateColumn>
          <asp:TemplateColumn HeaderText="Cost" ItemStyle-Width="75px" >
            <ItemTemplate>
              <asp:Label cssClass="lbl lblBox"  ID="lblCost" runat="server" Width="75px" />
            </ItemTemplate>
          </asp:TemplateColumn>
        </Columns>
      </asp:DataGrid>

 In ItemDataBound, I sometimes make the first column hidden:

   Protected Sub dgEdit_ItemDataBound(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGridItemEventArgs) Handles dgEdit.ItemDataBound
      Select Case e.Item.ItemType
         Case ListItemType.Item
            Dim sCostTypeCode As String = DataBinder.GetPropertyValue(e.Item.DataItem, "CostTypeCode")
            Me.dgEdit.Columns(0).Visible = (sCostTypeCode = "EXP")
         Case Else
      End Select
   End Sub

 

When the column is hidden, though, vreqCostItem still fires when I validate the page. I thought invisible validators didn't fire. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. -- ZLA

Well, to make sure it doesn't fire when the column is hidden, find the validator and set the 'Enable' property to false.

 

I went ahead and already did that but aren't validators supposed to be "smarter" than that? Or does a hidden column still leave the column's controls as 'visible' and therefore the validator doesn't notice? Doesn't the visibility walk up the control chain so that controls inside panels with visible = false won't trigger their validators?