Hi,
Assuming an int:

//if your'e happy with a nullable type:
int? _ManagerKey = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ManagerKey"] as int?;
 //or maybe safer:
int? _ManagerKey = (int?) ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ManagerKey"];
//If you want a default:
int _ManagerKey = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ManagerKey"] as int? ?? -1;
//or, again, safer?
int _ManagerKey = (int?) ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ManagerKey"] ?? -1;

Adjust as neccessary for other types....


>I'm reading the values off a dataset onto class properties:
>
>

>public override void LoadData()
>{
>    DataSet ds = AppDataAccess.GetProjects(this.RecordId);
>
>    if (ds != null && ds.Tables.Count > 0)
>    {
>        _ProjectKey = (int)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ProjectKey"];
>        _ClientKey = (int)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ClientKey"];
>        _ProjectTypeKey = (int)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ProjectTypeKey"];
>        _RateTypeKey = (int)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["RateTypeKey"];
>        _ProjectStatusKey = (int)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ProjectStatusKey"];
>        _PriorityKey = (int)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["PriorityKey"];
>
>        if (ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ManagerKey"] != DBNull.Value)
>        {
>            _ManagerKey = (int)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ManagerKey"];
>        }
>
>        _ProjectName = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ProjectName"].ToString();
>        _ProjectCode = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ProjectCode"].ToString();
>        _RateAmt = (float)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["RateAmt"];
>        _EstHours = (float)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["EstHours"];
>        _TotalHours = (float)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["TotalHours"];
>        _EstStartDate = (DateTime)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["EstStartDate"];
>        _EstEndDate = (DateTime)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["EstEndDate"];
>        _ActualStartDate = (DateTime)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ActualStartDate"];
>        _ActualEndDate = (DateTime)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ActualEndDate"];
>        _PercentDone = (float)ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["PercentDone"];
>        _Comments = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["Comments"].ToString();
>        _ProjectType = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["ProjectType"].ToString();
>        _RateType = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["RateType"].ToString();
>        _Status = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["Status"].ToString();
>        _Priority = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["Priority"].ToString();
>        _MgrFirstName = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["MgrFirstName"].ToString();
>        _MgrLastName = ds.Tables[0].Rows[0]["MgrLastName"].ToString();
>
>    }
>}
>

>
>The problem is that I'm getting casting errors when there are DB nulls., Is there a better way of dealing with this other than the IF statement I used above? I don't want a bunch of IF's around each line above.
>
>Thanks