my output parameter is being treated as an input parameter...why

I have a stored procedure which takes an input parm and is supposed to return an output parameter named NewRetVal. I have tested the proc from Query Analyzer and it works fine, however when I run the ASP code and do a quickwatch I see that the parm is being switched to an input parm instead of the output parm I have it defined as...any ideas why this is happening? The update portion works fine, it is the Delete proc that I am having the problems...

ASP Code...

<asp:SqlDataSourceID="SqlDS_Form"runat="server"ConnectionString="<%$ ConnectionStrings:PTNConnectionString %>"SelectCommand="PTN_sp_getFormDD"SelectCommandType="StoredProcedure"OldValuesParameterFormatString="original_{0}"UpdateCommand="PTN_sp_Form_Update"UpdateCommandType="StoredProcedure"OnUpdated="SqlDS_Form_Updated"OnUpdating="SqlDS_Form_Updating"DeleteCommand="PTN_sp_Form_Del"DeleteCommandType="StoredProcedure"OnDeleting="SqlDS_Form_Updating"OnDeleted="SqlDS_Form_Deleted">
<UpdateParameters><asp:ControlParameterControlID="GridView1"Name="DescID"PropertyName="SelectedValue"Type="Int32"/><asp:ControlParameterControlID="GridView1"Name="FormNum"PropertyName="SelectedValue"Type="String"/><asp:ParameterName="original_FormNum"Type="String"/><asp:ParameterDirection="InputOutput"size="25"Name="RetVal"Type="String"/></UpdateParameters>

<DeleteParameters>
<asp:ParameterName="original_FormNum"Type="String"/>
<asp:ParameterDirection="InputOutput"Size="1"Name="NewRetVal"Type="Int16"/>
</DeleteParameters>
</asp:SqlDataSource>

Code Behind:

protectedvoid SqlDS_Form_Deleted(object sender,SqlDataSourceStatusEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Exception ==null)
{ string strRetVal = (String)e.Command.Parameters["@.NewRetVal"].Value.ToString();
.....................

Stored Procedure:

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[PTN_sp_Form_Del] (@.original_FormNumnvarchar(20), @.NewRetValINT OUTPUT )ASSET NOCOUNT ONSET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ UNCOMMITTEDDECLARE @.stoptransvarchar(5), @.AvailFoundint, @.AssignedFoundintSet @.stoptrans ='NO'/* ------- Search PART #1 ---------------- */SET @.AvailFound = (SELECTCOUNT(*)FROM dbo.AvailableNumberWHERE dbo.AvailableNumber.FormNum = @.original_FormNum )SET @.AssignedFound = (SELECTCOUNT(*)FROM dbo.AssignedNumberWHERE dbo.AssignedNumber.FormNum=@.original_FormNum )IF @.AvailFound > 0OR @.AssignedFound > 0/* It is ok if no rows found on available table, continue on to Assigned table, otherwise stop the deletion.*/--This means the delete can't happen.........BEGINIF @.AssignedFound > 0AND @.AvailFound = 0BEGINSET @.NewRetVal = 1ENDIF @.AssignedFound > 0AND @.AvailFound > 0BEGIN SET @.NewRetVal = 2ENDIF @.AssignedFound = 0AND @.AvailFound > 0BEGIN SET @.NewRetVal = 3ENDENDELSEBEGINDELETE FROM dbo.FormWHERE dbo.Form.FormNum=@.original_FormNumSET @.NewRetVal = 0--Successful deletionENDGO

------------------

When I go into the debug mode and do a quickwatch, the NewRetVal is showing as string input.

Not sure whether it will help, but try to set the Direction of NewRetVal to Output instead of IntputOutput:

<asp:ParameterDirection="Output"Size="1"Name="NewRetVal"Type="Int16"/>

You may also take a look at this article:

Input and Output Parameters, and Return Values

|||It could also be because the type doesn't match. A SQL int is 32-bits, and you've specified a 16-bit int.