listbox contents to sql stored procedure command parameter?

Hello,

Stuck in a spot and hoping someone will nudge me in the right direction...

I'm trying to write to a sql db via a storedprocedure using a parameter. i'm pretty certain the below statement is causing the problem. but i'm not sure how to properly refer to it...

Dim connString As String
connString = "integrated security=false;user id=sa;server=HCENT1;database=LicenseRenewal;persist security info=False"
Dim myConnection As New SqlConnection(connString)
Dim myCommand As New SqlCommand("InsertPage1", myConnection)
myCommand.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
' ......other (working) parameter statements.......
Dim parameterDates As New SqlParameter("@.Dates", SqlDbType.VarChar, 4000)
parameterDates.Value = Session("lstDates")
myCommand.Parameters.Add(parameterDates)
myConnection.Open()
myCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()
myConnection.Close()

the session("lstDates") is the contents of lstDates.Items (listbox) from a previous page.
i'm guessing its not valid to refer to it as a varchar, can someone point me to the proper way to handle this?

tia
andyI would try Session("lstDates").ToString(), though I personally would try and debug it to see what exactly is in that session variable.

Are you getting an error message? If so, please give the EXACT message.|||thank you for the suggestion.

I've tried what you're saying and the table gets populated with the string:

"System.Web.UI.WebControls.ListItemCollection"

i took a stab in the dark and tried varbinary (sans .tostring) as the sqldatatype for the parameter/storedprocedure/columntype and i received:

Server Error in '/NET/LicenseRenewal' Application.
------------------------
Object must implement IConvertible.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.InvalidCastException: Object must implement IConvertible.
Source Error:
An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
Stack Trace:
[InvalidCastException: Object must implement IConvertible.]
 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream) +723
 System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteNonQuery() +196
 LicenseRenewal.W4.WriteDBPage1() in C:\Documents and Settings\andrzej\VSWebCache\www.aea13.org\NET\LicenseRenewal\W4.aspx.vb:453
 LicenseRenewal.W4.btnDONE_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Documents and Settings\andrzej\VSWebCache\www.aea13.org\NET\LicenseRenewal\W4.aspx.vb:158
 System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e) +108
 System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +57
 System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler sourceControl, String eventArgument) +18
 System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) +33
 System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain() +1277

Seems it can't automatically convert a collection of listbox items into a sql column list, a string list (not one long string however) in the column would be sufficient.

i welcome/appreciate any further input.

thank you
andy|||forgot to say, the contents of the session("lstDates") are various quantities (less then 25 typically) of strings following the 'syntax' of "02/02/04 From: 08:00 AM To 09:00 AM". The string gets compiled from a text box and 2 other listboxes and added to the lstDates. I know the session("lstDates") holds valid data because i've used the session info to reload the listbox without problems

http://www.aea13.org/net/licenserenewal/w1p2.aspx is the page that has the listbox, the page following that is supposed to write to the database when someone clicks on the bottom button.

I took copies of these 2 pages out of the full application, spliced them together and have butchered the code to get rid of non (error) relevant functions. only the relevant parts work for this testing purpose, also the button is only writing the single parameter to a lone table with a lone column.

thanks again.|||ok, got tired of fighting with it so went around it...

Dim connString As String
connString = "............."
Dim myConnection As New SqlConnection(connString)
Dim myCommand As New SqlCommand("test1", myConnection)
myCommand.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
Dim strTempString As String
Dim lstTempListbox As New ListBox
Dim arrTemparray As New ArrayList
Dim x As Integer
lstTempListbox.DataSource = Session("lstDates")
lstTempListbox.DataBind()
For x = 0 To lstTempListbox.Items.Count - 1
If strTempString = "" Then
strTempString = lstTempListbox.Items(x).ToString
Else
strTempString = strTempString + lstTempListbox.Items(x).ToString
End If
Next
Dim parameterDates As New SqlParameter("@.Dates", SqlDbType.VarChar, 4000)
parameterDates.Value = strTempString
myCommand.Parameters.Add(parameterDates)
myConnection.Open()
myCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()
myConnection.Close()

the table gets the data nicely formatted into a single cell and i can spit it back out in the RTF without formatting issues.

hope it helps someone else :)
andy