AZGroups.com

I'm not sure if I should post this to the mailing list as well, or what (transition is hard!).

I want to be able to create a custom server control that will let me do something like this:

<foo:myCustomControl id="foo1" runat="server">

   <asp:label id="lblTest" runat="server" /><div>hello</div><asp:button id="btnSubmit" runat="server" text="Submit" />

</foo:myCustomControl>

In essence, a custom control that acts exactly like any other asp.net control does (imagine replacing foo:myCustomControl w/ asp:Panel), and will appropriately render child controls. I know there's difficulties associated with doing this...has anyone managed to do it/seen it done successfully?

Jonas

Aint nothing that a simple attribute wouldn't fix.
Add the following to your control class and read about it
[ParseChildren(false)]

pooh:

Aint nothing that a simple attribute wouldn't fix.
Add the following to your control class and read about it
[ParseChildren(false)]

Stupid test accounts!!! That was from me. :)

A slight additional note, if you are using a custom .Render override, you should call the base.RenderChildren(writer); method...  Have done this a bit with fancier section wrappers...

As an aside...I can't seem to configure 2.0 to use my server control.

I have TestServerControl.cs in the App_Code directory. In my default.aspx I have the following register directive:

<%@ Register tagprefix="cc1" src="App_Code/TestServerControl.cs" tagname="foo" %>

When I try and compile, I get this error:

Error 1 The file '/newatlasweb/App_Code/TestServerControl.cs' is in the special directory 'App_Code', which is not allowed.

JPrime:

As an aside...I can't seem to configure 2.0 to use my server control.

I have TestServerControl.cs in the App_Code directory. In my default.aspx I have the following register directive:

<%@ Register tagprefix="cc1" src="App_Code/TestServerControl.cs" tagname="foo" %>

When I try and compile, I get this error:

Error 1 The file '/newatlasweb/App_Code/TestServerControl.cs' is in the special directory 'App_Code', which is not allowed.

I admit that I don't know much about the code layout of asp.net 2.0 projects. With that said, if you are creating custom server controls, why not keep them in a seperate class library?

Ahh the joys of new stuff. :) In 2.0, if you have the server control in your app_code directory, it must have a namespace, then the register directive should look like this:

<%@ register namespace="TestWebControls" tagprefix="testControl" %>

Then in your markup:

<testControl:TestServerControl cssclass="Foo" id="foo1" runat="server">
   inside
</testControl:TestServerControl>

the "TestServerControl" name must match the name of the class of your custom server control (which I overlooked...whoops). You can also register the control in your web.config for ease of use in multiple pages:

<system.web>
   <pages>
      <controls>
         <add namespace="TestWebControls" tagPrefix="testControl" />
      </controls>
   </pages>
</system.web>

Since this control is only going to be used in this app, I don't need to put it in a separate dll. But if you do put it in a separate dll, all you need to add is the "assembly" attribute when registering your controls.

--j

Yes.  Further, 2.0 recognizes "App_Code" as a very special directory that gets compiled.  ASP.NET will compile your class and make it available to you from the assembly inside the bin/ directory.  Keep in mind that the "App_Code" directory is often not included in the final website... just the dlls in the bin/ directory.

---

--Eric Swanson
http://www.ericis.com/

signed up to say thanks for putting all this info in one easy-to-find spot.  definitely saved me some time searching the rest of google for all this.

pooh:

Aint nothing that a simple attribute wouldn't fix.
Add the following to your control class and read about it
[ParseChildren(false)]

 great feature!  I found this also when I went to make a Templated control..

<foo:SomeControl ID="ucTest" runat="server">

     <MainContent>Render me Inside a specific placeholder!</MainContent>

     <Header>Snappy and informative header!</Header>

</foo:SomeControl>

 

Requires something like..

private ITemplate _MainContent;

[PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty), TemplateContainer(typeof(TemplateControl))]

public ITemplate MainContent

{

get { return _MainContent; }

set { _MainContent = value; }

}

 

etc..etc...

private ITemplate _MainContent;

[PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty), TemplateContainer(typeof(TemplateControl))]

public ITemplate MainContent

{

get { return _MainContent; }

set { _MainContent = value; }

}

 

etc..etc...

PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty), TemplateContainer(typeof(TemplateControl))]

public ITemplate MainContent

{

get { return _MainContent; }

set { _MainContent = value; }

}

 

etc..etc...

public ITemplate MainContent

{

get { return _MainContent; }

set { _MainContent = value; }

}

 

etc..etc...

get { return _MainContent; }

set { _MainContent = value; }

}

 

etc..etc...

set { _MainContent = value; }

}

 

etc..etc...

eck gawd!  not sure why that repeated a billion times..   alas.. no EDIT POST option.. sorry..  but the gist is, if oyu want Templates, you need to expose ITemplate properties and then override OnInit.  Like so:

protected override void OnInit(EventArgs e)

{

base.OnInit(e);

if (_MainContent != null)

{

_MainContent.InstantiateIn(Content);

}

}

protected override void OnInit(EventArgs e)

{

base.OnInit(e);

if (_MainContent != null)

{

_MainContent.InstantiateIn(Content);

}

}

base.OnInit(e);

if (_MainContent != null)

{

_MainContent.InstantiateIn(Content);

}

}

if (_MainContent != null)

{

_MainContent.InstantiateIn(Content);

}

}