---
title: SAIFDropDownList
summary: API reference for SAIFDropDownList.
status: draft
owner: SAIF Doc Gen
last_reviewed: 2026-08-17
library: SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.V2
reference_type: package
---

# SAIFDropDownList

A drop-down list that can bind directly to an Enum type and can render as a read-only styled textbox, and that retries its render once with the selection cleared if the base render throws [BR-V2-027](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-027-drop-down-can-bind-directly-to-an-enum).

## Purpose
- Populates its item list directly from an `Enum` type via `EnumDatasource`, avoiding a manual item-by-item bind [BR-V2-027](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-027-drop-down-can-bind-directly-to-an-enum).
- Renders as a styled read-only textbox instead of an interactive drop-down when `ReadOnly` is set [BR-V2-030](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-030-read-only-drop-down-renders-as-a-styled-textbox).
- Maps between the selected item's text and its underlying enum value bidirectionally through `SelectedItemAsEnum` [BR-V2-036](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-036-selecteditemasenum-maps-text-and-enum-bidirectionally).

## Context
- Namespace: `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.V2`
- Assembly/package: `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.V2` (packaged in `SAIF.BOF.Presentation.Web.Infragistics111.nuspec`)

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EnumDatasource | `Public Property EnumDatasource As System.Type` | Enum type used to auto-populate the list's items [BR-V2-027](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-027-drop-down-can-bind-directly-to-an-enum). |
| MapUnderscore | `Public Property MapUnderscore As Boolean` | When true, maps underscores in enum member names to spaces in the displayed text. |
| ReadOnly | `Public Property ReadOnly As Boolean` | Renders a styled textbox instead of the interactive drop-down when true [BR-V2-030](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-030-read-only-drop-down-renders-as-a-styled-textbox). |
| ValueText | `Public Property ValueText As String` | Text shown in the read-only textbox rendering. |
| SelectedItemAsEnum | `Public Property SelectedItemAsEnum As Object` | Gets or sets the selection using the bound enum type, translating to/from the underlying text/value [BR-V2-036](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-036-selecteditemasenum-maps-text-and-enum-bidirectionally). |
| Render | `Public Overrides Sub Render(writer As HtmlTextWriter)` | Renders per `ReadOnly`; retries once with the selection cleared if the base render throws [BR-V2-035](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-035-base-render-failure-triggers-one-retry-with-selection-cleared). |

## Behavioral notes
- If the base `Render` throws, the control clears the current selection and retries exactly once before giving up [BR-V2-035](../../business-rules.md#br-v2-035-base-render-failure-triggers-one-retry-with-selection-cleared).

## Constraints and usage notes
- `EnumDatasource` must be an actual `System.Type` representing an `Enum`; non-enum types are not supported.

## Sources
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.V2/SAIFDropDownList.vb`