Developing Web Part using Web User Control.
Overview
In this article we will see how to create web user control (.ascx file) and wrap it inside SharePoint web part. This will significantly save time in developing web part and it helps to resolve child-control-level errors within web part.
Versions supported:
Windows SharePoint services
Windows SharePoint Portal Server
MOSS 2007
Steps:
Now, we first go with developing web user control (brief) then we’ll move on creating web part.
A. Creating web user control
1) create new web application
2. Add new item > User control
3. Add controls you want in user control on web part.
We have added following code on button click event.
lblMsg.Text = "<b>Details:<b> " + "<br />" +
"Name: " + txtName.Text + "<br />" +
"Address:" + txtAddress.Text + "<br />" +
"City: " + txtCity.Text;
4. Add user control on aspx page and test it.
5. Output may look like.
Why UserControl in Web part?
- Good thing is web part using Usercontrol is easy to create and error on web part will be more specific and displays within web part (Using response.write () method).
- Moreover you need to change only the GUID and Path of the Usercontrol (.ascx files) if you want to deploy any user control in web part.
- Compile and Deploy time overhead reduced. Yeah, that’s true. If you want to modify anything in web part just modify aspx page and code in .CS file from layout folder (where we deploy usercontrol files) and u all set. No need to put dll in GAC, bin no IISRESET nothing.
Now, let’s see how we can plug this user control inside web part of SharePoint.
B. Create Web Part Project
1. Open visual studio 2005
2. Create new project of type ‘Web Part’.
3. Load User Control in Web Part Project.
Control _myControl; String err;
Declare variable err of type String
In Render method write the statement
_myControl.RenderControl(writer);
Write method definition for CreateChildControls
protected override void CreateChildControls()
Write body for CreateChildControls
this.Controls.Clear ();
myControl = this.Page.LoadControl("\\_layouts\\WebUserControl.ascx");
this.Controls.Add (_myControl);
4. Deploy Web Part
Note: In latter articles we’ll see how to create and deploy web part and related stuff.
- Copy WebUserControl.ascx and WebUserControl.ascx.cs files in following directory :
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS
- Copy UserControl.dll from > Desktop\UserControl\UserControl\obj\Debug
And put it inside BIN directory of your SharePoint site. Drag and drop dll to GAC (Run > c:\windows\assembly)
- Add <Safecontrol> entry to web.config
<SafeControl Assembly="UserControl, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=9f4da00116c38ec5" Namespace="UserControl" TypeName="*" Safe="True" />
- Go to Sitesettings > Modify all Settings > gallery > web part > New and populate new control to gallery.
- Reset IIS ( Run > cmd > iisreset)
- New web part is ready to use on any page.
Sample code:
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using Microsoft.SharePoint;
using Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls;
using Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages;
namespace UserControl
{
[Guid("A1B4DDEA-0CC1-40c8-91B1-339D161E7F45")] // your GUID here.
// Goto tools > create GUID
public class UserControl : System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPart
{
//Variables
Control _myControl;
String err;
public UserControl()
{
this.ExportMode = WebPartExportMode.All;
// Specifies whether all, some, or none of a WebPart control's properties can be exported.
}
protected override void Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)
{
try
{
_myControl.RenderControl(writer);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
writer.Write(e.Message + " : " + err);
}
}
protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
base.CreateChildControls();
try
{
this.Controls.Clear();
_myControl = this.Page.LoadControl("\\_layouts\\WebUserControl.ascx");
this.Controls.Add(_myControl);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
err = e.Message;
}
}
}
}