Find nested repeater in 3 level repeater - asp.net

Question

I have a 3-level asp.net repeater, and I need to find the 3rd level's items. The code-behind is posted below as well.
Here is my aspx code:
<div class="container">
<asp:Repeater runat="server" ID="rptGrp0" OnItemDataBound="rptGrp0_ItemDataBound">
<HeaderTemplate>
<div id="Grp0" class="rptParent">
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<div id="rptParent <%# Eval("Name") %>">
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span12">
<h5 class="parentTitle"><%# Eval("Name") %></h5>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="group">
<div id="rptChild <%# Eval("Name") %>">
<div>
<asp:Repeater runat="server" ID="rptGrp1" OnItemDataBound="rptGrp1_ItemDataBound">
<HeaderTemplate>
<div id="Grp1" class="rptChild">
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<div class="group">
<div id="rptGrandChildHeader <%# Eval("Name") %>">
<div class="content">
<div class="container">
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span12">
<p class="blue">
<asp:Label runat="server" ID="lblChildName" Text='<%# Eval("Name") %>'></asp:Label>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="rptGrandChild <%# Eval("Name") %>">
<asp:Repeater runat="server" ID="rptContent">
<HeaderTemplate>
<div class="c_module">
<div class="container">
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span12">
<div class="data_controls">
<div class="clearfix"></div>
</div>
<div class="d_table_module">
<table border="0" class="display" id="tblContent">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Product</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<tr>
<td style="width:100px;">
<asp:Label runat="server" ID="lblProduct" Text='<%# Eval("Product") %>'></asp:Label>
</td>
</tr>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
</div>
</div>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</div>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</div>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
</div>
Here is my code-behind.
protected void lnkButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Repeater primary = (Repeater)this.FindControl("rptGrp0");
if (primary != null)
{
// Items.Count = 0.
foreach (RepeaterItem item in primary.Items)
{
Repeater secondary = (Repeater)item.FindControl("rptGrp1");
if (secondary != null)
{
foreach (RepeaterItem b in secondary.Items)
{
Repeater target = (Repeater)b.FindControl("rptContent");
if (target != null)
{
foreach (RepeaterItem c in target.Items)
{
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
The problem is that my repeater.Items.Count is 0.
Please advise, thanks.

Answer 1

Repeater will display only if it is bounded with DataSource. Make sure your repeaters are bounded with a proper DataSource.

Answer 2

Finding the items of the 3rd repeater depends on how you databind it to begin with. If you are binding data in your Page_Load event, then the data is bound after the click event is processed. On your lnkButton_Click event the contents of the repeaters have not yet been bound. The easiest way to access those items is to have an Item_DataBound event to access those items.
Sample code:
<asp:Repeater runat="server" ID="rptContent" OnItemDataBound="rptContent_ItemDataBound">
...
</asp:Repeater>
Code Behind:
protected void rptContent_ItemDataBound(object sender, RepeaterItemEventArgs e)
{
e.Item; // This current item
Repeater rpt = (Repeater)(sender);
rpt.Items; // All items
//Do some condition here to test on the item for whatever you want to do
if(e.Item == someCondition)
// some operation here
}

Answer 3

Okay I found the solution. It has to do with the ASP.NET page lifecycle.
After the lnkButton_Click event, a postback occurred, but I needed to "rebind" the repeater datasource on postback, not just initial page_load.
e.g.
protected void Page_Load()
{
if (!IsPostBack)
{
// bind control
}
else
{
// rebind control
}
}