title: Checking for null database value in ASP Repeater control
body: <p>I have never written a lick of ASP.NET in my life before this week so go easy on me, please.</p>
  
  <p>I have an ASP.NET page that displays pictures from a database. I create a SqlDataReader and bind the repeater to this reader. The page displays a table with three columns: a thumbnail of the pic (path from the database), the name of the camera the pic was taken with (from the database), and a comment about the picture.</p>
  
  <p>The comment will be null when I upload pics to the database. I want the table to display the comment if it exists, or if the comment field is null in the database, display an ASP textbox and button for the user to enter a comment about the picture.</p>
  
  <p>It turns out this is not nearly as easy as I thought it would be. Can anyone suggest to me:</p>
  
  <p>A) an explicit test for determining if the "comment" column of this row is null</p>
  
  <p>B) how to conditionally display either text, or a textbox/button combination (texbox having an id from the "ID" column of the database)</p>
  
  <p>I believe I have the skills to write the button click handler to update the database with the comment... if I can get it to display.</p>
  
  <p>Many thanks in advance, and I promise to decline ASP.NET projects in the future!</p>