ASP.NET DetailsView

The GridView control in ASP.NET is used to display all the records from its data source control in a tabular format. It presents data in a grid-like structure, with multiple rows and columns visible at once. On the other hand, the DetailsView control is designed to display one row from a data source at a time by rendering an HTML table. It provides a more detailed view of the selected record, typically presenting data in a vertical layout.

DetailsView control

The DetailsView control is commonly used in scenarios where a master-details relationship exists between two data sets. For example, in a product catalog application, selecting a product from a GridView control can trigger the DetailsView control to display the detailed information of the chosen product. This allows users to view additional information about a specific record without overwhelming the interface with all the data at once.

Data binding

The DetailsView control supports both declarative and programmatic data binding. Declarative data binding allows you to define the data source and configure the control's appearance and behavior directly in the markup, using data source controls such as SqlDataSource or ObjectDataSource. Programmatic data binding, on the other hand, gives you more flexibility and control over how the data is retrieved and displayed, allowing you to bind the DetailsView control dynamically in code.