Composite control delegating databound templated features to child <asp:repeater> control

[debartsa]

Hi Everybody,

I'm creating a composite control in C# that basically renders a bunch of
webcontrols such as <asp:Label />, <asp:Repeater />, etc... as its children.

My goal is to re-use the functionality of the <asp:Repeater /> control to
allow the page developer to take advantage of the Data-bound, Templated
features the <asp:Repeater /> offers. (I'd like to avoid building that
functionality from scratch in my control).

The question is:

When the page developer using VS.NET drags my control onto an .aspx page,
I'd like the developer to be able to add his/her own template code
<ItemTemplate>, etc... and have the processing of the inline template code
and data-binding expressions delegate down to my child <asp:Repeater> for
rendering.

e.g.

<my:CompositeCtrl id="Cntrl1" runat="server">

//... The <asp:Repeater> child in my control would handle this block
....
<HeaderTemplate>Title</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<li><a href="<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem,
"URL") %>">
<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "Name")
%></a></li>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>Footer Text</FooterTemplate>
etc...

</my:CompositeCtrl>


Is this possible?

Thanks for any help!
Sam

[John Saunders]

"debartsa" <debartsa@btib.css.gov.on.ca> wrote in message
news:uD9V0laHEHA.2300@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

> Hi Everybody,
>
> I'm creating a composite control in C# that basically renders a bunch of
> webcontrols such as <asp:Label />, <asp:Repeater />, etc... as its

children.

>
> My goal is to re-use the functionality of the <asp:Repeater /> control to
> allow the page developer to take advantage of the Data-bound, Templated
> features the <asp:Repeater /> offers. (I'd like to avoid building that
> functionality from scratch in my control).
>
> The question is:
>
> When the page developer using VS.NET drags my control onto an .aspx page,
> I'd like the developer to be able to add his/her own template code
> <ItemTemplate>, etc... and have the processing of the inline template code
> and data-binding expressions delegate down to my child <asp:Repeater> for
> rendering.
>
> e.g.
>
> <my:CompositeCtrl id="Cntrl1" runat="server">
>
> //... The <asp:Repeater> child in my control would handle this

block

> ...
> <HeaderTemplate>Title</HeaderTemplate>
> <ItemTemplate>
> <li><a href="<%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem,
> "URL") %>">
> <%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "Name")
> %></a></li>
> </ItemTemplate>
> <FooterTemplate>Footer Text</FooterTemplate>
> etc...
>
> </my:CompositeCtrl>

You could delegate the template properties by creating corresponding
properties in your own code:

public ITemplate ItemTemplate
{
get {EnsureChildControls(); return myChildRepeater.ItemTemplate;}
set {EnsureChildControls(); myChildRepeater.ItemTemplate = value;}
}

However, this won't give you any of the designer features of the Repeater
control.
--
John Saunders
John.Saunders at SurfControl.com