I am setting up an asp.net site using the Ektron CMS. Every page in the
site uses the same basic template, with the look of the page changing
via CSS and an id on the body. The id is shared by all pages in a
subsection, e.g. everything in /about/ needs to have <body id="about">.
In the past what I've done is set a global variable in index.asp, then
include the template to render the page:
<%
pageid = "about"
defaultcontentid = 33
%>
<!--#include virtual="/include/mastertemplate.asp" -->
mastertemplate.asp would be the entire page, echoing and processing the
variables like so:
<!--#include virtual="/include/cmsfunctions.asp" -->
<body id="<%= pageid %>">
<%= cmsRenderContent(defaultcontentid) %>
This worked great. I needed one index.asp for each subsection, and had
no duplication of template code. If the template needed to be updated, I
just gave it to the designer, who modified it in Dreamweaver or
whatever. The separation between presentation and logic was good, and
any code that generated html was in an easily-modified function.
I've experimented with a similar approach in asp.net, and have the start
of it working, but the additional complication is that
mastertemplate.aspx has some codebehind related to the cms server
controls that it uses, and I need to use the passed-in variables within
that codebehind. For example, I'd establish a default content id in the
calling page, and if the mastertemplate.asp doesn't detect an id in the
url, it will use the default.
I am looking for examples of this approach in asp.net but I keep running
across advice to use user controls instead. But it seems like user
controls are used for parts of pages, not the page template itself. Is
that right? Can a user control contain server controls? How would I pass
variables from a "stub" calling page to the user control page? Can a
user control be modified in something like Dreamweaver?
Thanks,
markgenerally they are right.
You will typically put a "place holder" into the template and then replace
that "place holder" with content created from a control (.ascx file). the
content is injected into the position of the "place holder" by using the
page.loadcontrol method.
example:
--
...somewhere in your code
' Dynamically inject a signin login module into the page
'---
If Request.IsAuthenticated = False Then
LoginControl.Controls.Add(Page.LoadControl("~/SignIn.ascx"))
End If
... somewhere in your template
<asp:placeholder id="LoginControl" runat="server" />
"Mark" <mark12b@.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:mark12b-F29D08.12133710052005@.news.isp.giganews.com...
>I am setting up an asp.net site using the Ektron CMS. Every page in the
> site uses the same basic template, with the look of the page changing
> via CSS and an id on the body. The id is shared by all pages in a
> subsection, e.g. everything in /about/ needs to have <body id="about">.
> In the past what I've done is set a global variable in index.asp, then
> include the template to render the page:
> <%
> pageid = "about"
> defaultcontentid = 33
> %>
> <!--#include virtual="/include/mastertemplate.asp" -->
> mastertemplate.asp would be the entire page, echoing and processing the
> variables like so:
> <!--#include virtual="/include/cmsfunctions.asp" -->
> <body id="<%= pageid %>">
> <%= cmsRenderContent(defaultcontentid) %>
> This worked great. I needed one index.asp for each subsection, and had
> no duplication of template code. If the template needed to be updated, I
> just gave it to the designer, who modified it in Dreamweaver or
> whatever. The separation between presentation and logic was good, and
> any code that generated html was in an easily-modified function.
> I've experimented with a similar approach in asp.net, and have the start
> of it working, but the additional complication is that
> mastertemplate.aspx has some codebehind related to the cms server
> controls that it uses, and I need to use the passed-in variables within
> that codebehind. For example, I'd establish a default content id in the
> calling page, and if the mastertemplate.asp doesn't detect an id in the
> url, it will use the default.
> I am looking for examples of this approach in asp.net but I keep running
> across advice to use user controls instead. But it seems like user
> controls are used for parts of pages, not the page template itself. Is
> that right? Can a user control contain server controls? How would I pass
> variables from a "stub" calling page to the user control page? Can a
> user control be modified in something like Dreamweaver?
> Thanks,
> --
> mark
Include files are old fashioned.
User controls are a better approach. Yes, they can contain any kind of
controls you'd like. You can create public properties, methods, and events
to facilitate communication between the user control and the page.
I agree with you that user controls do not fully achieve the "template"
functionality you s
as gracefully as we'd all like, but the only great
solution is in ASP.NET 2.0 (due out later this year) which implements
"Master Pages".
Here's more info:
http://SteveOrr.net/faq/usercustom.aspx
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/Code/2...MasterPages.asp
I hope this helps,
Steve C. Orr, MCSD, MVP
http://SteveOrr.net
"Mark" <mark12b@.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:mark12b-F29D08.12133710052005@.news.isp.giganews.com...
>I am setting up an asp.net site using the Ektron CMS. Every page in the
> site uses the same basic template, with the look of the page changing
> via CSS and an id on the body. The id is shared by all pages in a
> subsection, e.g. everything in /about/ needs to have <body id="about">.
> In the past what I've done is set a global variable in index.asp, then
> include the template to render the page:
> <%
> pageid = "about"
> defaultcontentid = 33
> %>
> <!--#include virtual="/include/mastertemplate.asp" -->
> mastertemplate.asp would be the entire page, echoing and processing the
> variables like so:
> <!--#include virtual="/include/cmsfunctions.asp" -->
> <body id="<%= pageid %>">
> <%= cmsRenderContent(defaultcontentid) %>
> This worked great. I needed one index.asp for each subsection, and had
> no duplication of template code. If the template needed to be updated, I
> just gave it to the designer, who modified it in Dreamweaver or
> whatever. The separation between presentation and logic was good, and
> any code that generated html was in an easily-modified function.
> I've experimented with a similar approach in asp.net, and have the start
> of it working, but the additional complication is that
> mastertemplate.aspx has some codebehind related to the cms server
> controls that it uses, and I need to use the passed-in variables within
> that codebehind. For example, I'd establish a default content id in the
> calling page, and if the mastertemplate.asp doesn't detect an id in the
> url, it will use the default.
> I am looking for examples of this approach in asp.net but I keep running
> across advice to use user controls instead. But it seems like user
> controls are used for parts of pages, not the page template itself. Is
> that right? Can a user control contain server controls? How would I pass
> variables from a "stub" calling page to the user control page? Can a
> user control be modified in something like Dreamweaver?
> Thanks,
> --
> mark
In article <#3rMAzZVFHA.3696@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>,
"Steve C. Orr [MVP, MCSD]" <Steve@.Orr.net> wrote:
> I agree with you that user controls do not fully achieve the "template"
> functionality you s
as gracefully as we'd all like, but the only great
> solution is in ASP.NET 2.0 (due out later this year) which implements
> "Master Pages".
> Here's more info:
> http://SteveOrr.net/faq/usercustom.aspx
> http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/Code/2...MasterPages.asp
Yes, Master Pages is most like what I was after. Now I am thinking about
just passing the section name in the url and have everything run through
a single page. Instead of
/about/index.aspx?id=123
/portfolio/index.aspx?id=456
I'll go
/index.aspx?s=about&id=123
/index.aspx?s=portfolio&id=456
This should work fine, especially since the cms has url aliasing.
Thnkas,
Yes, I've tried that approach before and it's not as easy as it might seem
at first.
Since everything is essentially a postback to the same page, this opens up
new hassles related to dynamically creating controls at runtime and managing
them all between postbacks and keeping them from conflicting with eachother
in various ways.
If you can, skip to ASP.NET 2.0 and use master pages. Otherwise I'd suggest
you use multiple pages with header and/or footer controls to help manage a
common look & feel.
I hope this helps,
Steve C. Orr, MCSD, MVP
http://SteveOrr.net
"Mark" <mark12b@.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:mark12b-377F1D.14180810052005@.news.isp.giganews.com...
> In article <#3rMAzZVFHA.3696@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl>,
> "Steve C. Orr [MVP, MCSD]" <Steve@.Orr.net> wrote:
>
> Yes, Master Pages is most like what I was after. Now I am thinking about
> just passing the section name in the url and have everything run through
> a single page. Instead of
> /about/index.aspx?id=123
> /portfolio/index.aspx?id=456
> I'll go
> /index.aspx?s=about&id=123
> /index.aspx?s=portfolio&id=456
> This should work fine, especially since the cms has url aliasing.
> Thnkas,
