System.Web.UI.WebControls.GridViewRow' is not accessible in this context because it is 'Friend'

Question

I would like to set the first column in a Gridview to zero, but in doing so, I get the following error: System.Web.UI.WebControls.GridViewRow' is not accessible in this context because it is 'Friend'.

This is my Grid:

 <asp:GridView ID="gvPurchaseOrderNum" runat="server" AutoGenerateColumns="False"
                        onrowdeleting="gvPurchaseOrderNum_RowDeleting" onrowediting="gvPurchaseOrderNum_RowEditing"
                        onrowupdating="gvPurchaseOrderNum_RowUpdating" onrowcommand="gvPurchaseOrderNum_RowCommand"
                        ShowFooter="True" Width="482px" 
                        onrowcancelingedit="gvPurchaseOrderNum_RowCancelingEdit">
                        <Columns>
                             <asp:TemplateField HeaderText="Purchase Order ID" Visible="true">
                                <EditItemTemplate>
                                    <asp:TextBox ID="txtPonumberID" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("ponumberID") %>'></asp:TextBox>
                                </EditItemTemplate>
                                <FooterTemplate>
                                    <asp:TextBox ID="txtPonumberIDInsert" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>
                                </FooterTemplate>
                                <ItemTemplate>
                                    <asp:Label ID="lblPonumberID" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("PonumberID") %>'></asp:Label>
                                </ItemTemplate>
                            </asp:TemplateField>
                             <asp:TemplateField HeaderText="Purchase Order Number">
                                <EditItemTemplate>
                                    <asp:TextBox ID="txtPonumber" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("poNumber") %>'></asp:TextBox>
                                </EditItemTemplate>
                                <FooterTemplate>
                                    <asp:TextBox ID="txtPoNumberInsert" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>
                                   <%-- <asp:RequiredFieldValidator runat="server" ID="reqtxtPoNumberInsert" ControlToValidate="txtPoNumberInsert" ErrorMessage="Required Field" Display="Dynamic" />--%>
                                </FooterTemplate>
                                <ItemTemplate>
                                    <asp:Label ID="lblPoNumber" runat="server" Text='<%# Bind("PoNumber") %>'></asp:Label>
                                </ItemTemplate>
                            </asp:TemplateField>
                            <asp:TemplateField ShowHeader="False">
                                <EditItemTemplate>
                                    <asp:LinkButton ID="LinkButton1" runat="server" CausesValidation="True"
                                        CommandName="Update" Text="Update"></asp:LinkButton>
                                    &nbsp;<asp:LinkButton ID="LinkButton2" runat="server" CausesValidation="False"
                                        CommandName="Cancel" Text="Cancel"></asp:LinkButton>
                                </EditItemTemplate>
                                <FooterTemplate>
                                    <asp:LinkButton ID="btnInsert" runat="server" CommandName="insertXMLData">Insert</asp:LinkButton>
                                </FooterTemplate>
                                <ItemTemplate>
                                    <asp:LinkButton ID="LinkButton1" runat="server" CausesValidation="False"
                                        CommandName="Edit" Text="Edit"></asp:LinkButton>
                                </ItemTemplate>
                                <ItemStyle Width="120px" />
                            </asp:TemplateField>
                            <asp:CommandField ShowDeleteButton="True" />
                         </Columns>
                         <emptydatatemplate>
                          <b>Enter Purchase Order Number(s)</b> <br /> 
                             <asp:TextBox ID="txtStartpoNumID" runat="server"></asp:TextBox><br />
                             <asp:TextBox ID="txtStartpoNum" runat="server"></asp:TextBox><br />
                             <%-- <asp:RequiredFieldValidator runat="server" ID="reqtxtStartpoNum" ControlToValidate="txtStartpoNum" ErrorMessage="Required Field" Display="Dynamic" />--%>
                             <asp:LinkButton ID="lnkpro" runat="server" OnClick="writeStartpoNum"  Text="Add Part Description"></asp:LinkButton> 
                            <p>&nbsp;</p>
                        </emptydatatemplate> 
                    </asp:GridView> 

and here is the code behind I'm implementing to execute the task:

Protected Sub gvPurchaseOrderNum_RowDataBound(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridViewCommandEventArgs)
        If e.Row.RowType = DataControlRowType.DataRow Then
            ' set the first column to zero
            e.Row.Cells(0).Text = 0
        End If


    End Sub

...Could I please get some help as to what I'm doing wrong here? I Googled the error, but was unable to find a remedy to the problem.

Answer 1

Use the FindControl() method instead of the Cells collection, like this:

Protected Sub gvPurchaseOrderNum_RowDataBound(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As GridViewCommandEventArgs)
    If e.Row.RowType = DataControlRowType.DataRow Then
        ' set the first column to zero
        Dim theLabel As Label = e.Row.FindControl("lblPonumberID")
        If theLabel Is Not Nothing Then
            theLabel.Text = "0"
        End If
    End If
End Sub

Since you have potentially multiple controls within in a TemplateField it will be much easier to use the FindControl() method to locate the exact item you want to change the Text property of, instead of depending upon getting the right cell by index.