Question

I have a grid view will two different button columns. I want to perform a different action depending on what button the user presses. How in the SelectedIndexChanged event do I determine what column was pressed. This is the code I use to generate the columns.

grdAttachments.Columns.Clear();
ButtonField bfSelect = new ButtonField();
bfSelect.HeaderText = "View";
bfSelect.ButtonType = ButtonType.Link;
bfSelect.CommandName = "Select";
bfSelect.Text = "View";

ButtonField bfLink = new ButtonField();
bfLink.HeaderText = "Link/Unlink";
bfLink.ButtonType = ButtonType.Link;
bfLink.CommandName = "Select";
bfLink.Text = "Link";

grdAttachments.Columns.Add(bfSelect);
grdAttachments.Columns.Add(bfLink);

Answer 1

I think it would help if you give the buttons different CommandName properties.

Here is an MSDN example of reading CommandName in the GridView_RowCommand event, which specifically mentions your multiple-button situation:

  void CustomersGridView_RowCommand(Object sender, GridViewCommandEventArgs e)
  {

    // If multiple ButtonField column fields are used, use the
    // CommandName property to determine which button was clicked.
    if(e.CommandName=="Select")
    {

      // Convert the row index stored in the CommandArgument
      // property to an Integer.
      int index = Convert.ToInt32(e.CommandArgument);    

      // Get the last name of the selected author from the appropriate
      // cell in the GridView control.
      GridViewRow selectedRow = CustomersGridView.Rows[index];
      TableCell contactName = selectedRow.Cells[1];
      string contact = contactName.Text;  

      // Display the selected author.
      Message.Text = "You selected " + contact + ".";

    }

  }