Casting DataItem in repeater to strongly typed dataset

Most of the time when you use repeater, you want to be able to cast the datasource/dataitem, you don’t really want to do DataBinder.Eval(e.Item.DataItem, “Description”) but you want to do row.Description. It’s not hard to do that, this is the snippet

Protected Sub rptEvents_Repeater(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RepeaterItemEventArgs) Handles rptEvents.ItemDataBound
        If (e.Item.ItemType = ListItemType.Item Or e.Item.ItemType = ListItemType.AlternatingItem) Then

             'you need to cast eh dataitem into datarowview and cast them again to strongly type dataset

            Dim view As DataRowView = DirectCast(e.Item.DataItem, DataRowView)
            Dim row As tdsEvent.EventSummaryRow = DirectCast(view.Row, tdsEvent.EventSummaryRow)

            If Not (row Is Nothing) Then

                Dim lblVenue As Label = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lblVenue"), Label)
                Dim lblEvent As HyperLink = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lblEvent"), HyperLink)
                Dim lblState As Label = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lblState"), Label)
                Dim lblTime As Label = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lblTime"), Label)
                Dim lblType As Label = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lblType"), Label)

                Dim eventClass As String = row.ColorCode ' don't set free

                ' if event is not normal, set it...
                If Not (row.IsVenueNull()) Then
                    lblVenue.Text = row.Venue
                End If

                If Not (row.IsEventNull()) Then
                    lblEvent.Text = Left(row.Event, 25) + "..."
                    lblEvent.NavigateUrl = String.Format("~/playpoker/view-event.aspx?EventID={0}&EventTypeID={1}", row.EventID.ToString(), row.EventTypeID.ToString())
                End If

                If Not (row.IsStateNull()) Then
                    lblState.Text = row.State
                End If

                If Not (row.IsEventTypeNull()) Then
                    lblType.Text = row.EventType
                End If

                If Not (row.IsRegistrationTimeNull()) Then
                    lblTime.Text = row.RegistrationTime.ToString("hh:mm tt")
                End If

                'bind all the data...

                'set class's
                If Not (String.IsNullOrEmpty(eventClass)) Then
                    lblVenue.CssClass = eventClass
                    lblEvent.CssClass = eventClass
                    lblState.CssClass = eventClass
                    lblTime.CssClass = eventClass
                    lblType.CssClass = eventClass
                End If

            End If
        ElseIf (e.Item.ItemType = ListItemType.Header) Then

            Dim lnk As LinkButton = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lnkVenue"), LinkButton)

            If Not (lnk Is Nothing) Then
                lnk.CommandName = "SortCommand"
                lnk.CommandArgument = "Venue"
            End If

            lnk = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lnkEvent"), LinkButton)

            If Not (lnk Is Nothing) Then
                lnk.CommandName = "SortCommand"
                lnk.CommandArgument = "Event"
            End If

            lnk = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lnkState"), LinkButton)

            If Not (lnk Is Nothing) Then
                lnk.CommandName = "SortCommand"
                lnk.CommandArgument = "State"
            End If

            lnk = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lnkTime"), LinkButton)

            If Not (lnk Is Nothing) Then
                lnk.CommandName = "SortCommand"
                lnk.CommandArgument = "lnkTime"
            End If

            lnk = DirectCast(e.Item.FindControl("lnkType"), LinkButton)

            If Not (lnk Is Nothing) Then
                lnk.CommandName = "SortCommand"
                lnk.CommandArgument = "EventType"
            End If

        End If
    End Sub