ASP.NET

public Class DataProvider
{
  public static DataSet GetVendors()
  {
    ... code that returns a dataset of vendors from the database ...
  }
 
}

private void Page_Load()
{
  if (!IsPostBack)
  {
    myDropDownList.DataSource = DataProvider.GetVendors();
    myDropDownList.DataBind();
  }
}

namespace mountainbrook.UI
{

    partial class VendorSelection : BaseApplicationPage
    {

        public VendorSelection()
        {
            AddSpecialEventHookUps();
            this.Init += new System.EventHandler(My_Init);
        }
        private void My_Init(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
        {
        }
        public string GetVendorSelection()
        {
            System.Web.UI.WebControls.DropDownList VendorSelectionDropDownList = new System.Web.UI.WebControls.DropDownList();
            VendorSelectionDropDownList = this.Page.FindControl("VendorSelectionDropDownList") as System.Web.UI.WebControls.DropDownList;

            return VendorSelectionDropDownList.Text;
        }
    }
}