ASP.net 1.1 Repeater Columns

While writing a script to mass approve posts on a site, similar to deleting all unwanted email using: a repeater (not a datagrid), a checkbox in each indexItem, and a button; I ran into a common problem for many… ASP.net repeaters don’t have columns. I searched the net and visited two of my favorite forums looking for help and came up with nothing…

Here’s my Psuedo/Logic:
1) Load Repeater with list of “UNmoderated” items
2) Put a checkbox inside the repeaters ItemTemplate
3) Add code to button (dosomething if checkbox is checked)

Problem:
I couldn’t locate the column with the PrimaryUniqueID because there are no columns in repeaters, but my Stored Procedure “requires” the PrimaryUniqueID.

Button code:
Private Sub MassApprove_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MassApprove.Click
Try
Dim MyRptItem As RepeaterItem
For Each MyRptItem In MyRepeater.Items
Dim chbxMassApprove As CheckBox = CType(MyRptItem.FindControl(“chbxMassApprove”), CheckBox)
Dim PrimaryUniqueID As String = MyRptItem.DataItem(PrimaryUniqueID) PROBLEMATIC LINE
If chbxMassApprove.Checked = True Then
‘DO THE MASS APPROVE
‘LOOP THRU STORED PROCEDURE
End If
Next
Catch exc As Exception
Response.Write(exc.ToString)
End Try
End Sub

Solution:
I used this as a workaround if this helps anyone…

Front End:
Text='<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container, “DataItem.PrimaryUniqueID”) %>’

Back End:
Dim PrimaryUniqueID As String = ckbxMassApprove.Text.ToString