Developing Web Applications Using ASP.

NET
Objectives

In this session, you will learn to:

Explain dynamic control creation in Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0
Add and configure controls dynamically
Explain how to incorporate globalization and localization
features into Web applications
Add localization features to a Web application
Describe when and how to implement dynamic master pages
Describe dynamic Web configuration scenarios
Apply master pages dynamically
Dynamically configure Web applications

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Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Control Creation

Appearance of some controls on the Web page depends on

run-time conditions.
Code can be written to add, remove, hide, or show controls
in response to conditions.
Each ASP.NET page has a Controls collection.
Container controls, such as Panel and PlaceHolder, also
have a Controls collection.
Controls can be added to a page or container controls by
using the Controls.Add method.
Location of the controls on a page cannot be specified by
using the Controls.Add method.
The layout of the page at runtime can be controlled by
adding the controls to a Panel or PlaceHolder control
instead of adding them to a page.

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Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Control Creation (Contd.)

To add a control to a Web forms page programmatically,

you need to:
Create an instance of the control and set its properties:
Label myLabel = new Label();
mylabel.Text = “Simple label”;
Add the control to the page. This is typically done during the
Page’s load stage:
private void Page_Load (object sender,
System.EventArgs e)
{
this.Controls.Add(myLabel);
}
A new control can added to the Controls collection of a
container already on the page as:
Panel1.Controls.Add(myLabel);

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Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Control Creation (Contd.)

When using Tables and TreeViews, you may require to add

subcontrols at run time.
Dynamic control creation is necessary when the result must
be displayed from a user query.
In addition to adding controls at run time, you can also
remove, hide, or show controls at run time.

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Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Control Creation (Contd.)

You can create templates dynamically in code.

Dynamically created templates are used when you do not
know until run time which templates to use and what text or
controls to include in them.
You can create templates in code for all controls that use
templates. These controls include:
DataList
Repeater
DataGrid
To create a dynamic template, you need to:
1. Create a template class that implements the ITemplate
interface and defines the InstantiateIn method of the
ITemplate interface.
2. Instantiate the dynamic template

Ver. 1.0 Slide 5 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Localization and Globalization

Web pages can be served automatically in the language

that the user prefers by using ASP.NET.
Preferred language passed by the browser to the server is
used to determine how the page should be localized.
Microsoft .NET Framework applications use resource files
to store data to be displayed for different controls.
For each culture, a different resource file can be created.
An ASP.NET control can be configured to check a resource
file while the page is rendering.
If a control finds a resource file that matches the culture of
the user and if a value is specified for the control in the
resource file:
The value will be substituted for the value of the control on the
page

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Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Localization and Globalization (Contd.)

Implicit Localization:
This type of localization enables you to specify that a control
should read the values of its properties from a resource file.
If properties are found in the resource file for the control at the
run time, they are used automatically.
Every ASP.NET page can have a default resource file and
additional resource files for each supported language and
culture.
Resources files are stored in App_LocalResources folder.
For implicit localization to work, automatic culture
determination must be enabled for the page by adding
uiculture=“auto” to the <%@page%> directive.

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Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Localization and Globalization (Contd.)

Explicit Localization:
This type of localization enables you to use an expression to
direct a control to take the value of a specific property from a
specific resource file.
A single set of resource files can be used for many pages in
the application.
Naming convention for resource files in explicit localization is
similar to the naming convention in implicit localization.
However, the names do not have to begin with the file name of
the page.
Resource files are usually placed in App_GlobalResources
directory.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 8 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Master Pages

A master page can be made dynamic just as ordinary

ASP.NET pages.
Code in a content page can alter the properties or controls
specified by the master page.
Public methods and properties on the master page can be
accessed from code in the content page. To do this:
1. Assign a class name to the master page in the <@master>
directive:
<@Master ClassName=“myMasterPage”%>
1. Access the methods and properties in the master page from
the content page:
myMasterPage masterPage=
(myMasterPage)this.Master;
CompanyName.Text = masterPage.CompanyName;

Ver. 1.0 Slide 9 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Master Pages (Contd.)

An object returned by Page.Master must be explicitly type

casted to the type specified for the master page variable.
The type casting requirement can be removed in the by
using the <%@ MasterType%> directive in the content page:
<%@ page masterPageFile=“~/MasterPage.master”%>
<%@ MasterType
virtualPath=“~/MasterPage.master”%>

Ver. 1.0 Slide 10 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Master Pages (Contd.)

Controls on a master page are protected. Therefore, you

cannot refer to them directly from a content page.
To access the methods and properties of a master page
from code in a content page, you can use the
FindControl method:
Label labelOnMasterPage = (Label)
(this.Master.FindControl (“masterPageLabel”));
if(labelOnMasterPage != null)
{
Response.Write(“Master Page label = “ +
labelOnMasterPage.Text);
}

Ver. 1.0 Slide 11 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Master Pages (Contd.)

A content page is usually assigned a master page at design

time by using the <%@ Page masterPageFile=
“xxx”%> directive.
A content page can refer a different master page at run time
by using the Page.MasterPageFile property.
MasterPageFile property is usually set in the
Page_PreInit event handler.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 12 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Web Configuration

ASP.NET application can be configured by using:

Machine.config file, the root Web.config file for the server, or
the Web.config files on the Web site
ASP.NET Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in
ASP.NET Web Site Administration tool
In some cases, the preceding tools might not provide the
required combination of configuration capabilities.
ASP.NET Configuration Application Programming Interface
(API) can be used to write the code to configure Web
applications without editing the XML configuration files.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 13 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Web Configuration (Contd.)

Generalized administration tools provide access to all the

properties of a site. Therefore, these tools provide
administrators full control over a site.
You can create a customized administration tool that allows
administrators to access only the configuration settings that
they require.
The interface of the customized administration tool can be
designed according to the preferences and job
responsibilities of the user.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 14 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Web Configuration (Contd.)

To build a configuration tool, you first need to open the

configuration file.
Configuration API is located in System.Configuration
and System.Web.Configuration namespaces.
To access machine.config file, the
OpenMachineConfiguration method can be used.
To access Web.config file OpenWebConfiguration
method can be used, as follows:
Configuration config;
Config = System.Web.Configuration.
WebConfigurationManager.
OpenWebConfiguration(“~”);

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Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Dynamic Web Configuration (Contd.)

After a configuration file has been opened, you can perform

the following operations on the file:
Query the various sections of the file and change their properties
Modify configuration values
Use Save method to write changes back to the configuration file
The following example shows how to enable the debug
feature by manipulating a configuration file:
System.Web.Configuration.CompilationSection
compilation;
compilation =
config.GetSection(“system.web/compilation”)as
System.Web.Configuration.CompilationSection;
comilation.Debug = true;
compilation.Save();

Ver. 1.0 Slide 16 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Demo: Building Dynamic Web Applications

Problem Statement:
You are a developer in the Adventure Works organization, a
fictitious bicycle manufacturer. You have been asked to assist
in the development of the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Web
application and a related Business-to-Employee (B2E) extranet
portal.
Decisions on the design of the application have already been
made. You have been asked to carry out a number of specific
tasks in order to implement various elements of this design. As
part of the first phase of the B2C development, you have been
asked to add various dynamic features to the Web application.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 17 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Demo: Building Dynamic Web Applications (Contd.)

Solution:
You need to perform following tasks:
1. Add and Configure Controls Dynamically
a. Open the Adventure Works Web site.
b. Add code to determine the number of items in the shopping cart.
c. Add code for creating and configuring Web server controls at run time.
d. Add an event handler method for a Button Object.
e. Add code for creating a control template.
f. Add code to apply the template at run time.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 18 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Demo: Building Dynamic Web Applications (Contd.)

2. Apply Master Pages Dynamically

a. Determine run-time conditions in the Page_PreInit method.
b. Apply a different master page if the shopping cart is empty.
c. Test the Web application.
2. Add Localization Features
a. Add a Welcome label to the TopLevel.master page.
b. Generate resource for the TopLevel.master page.
c. Set the UICulture for the Default.aspx page.
d. Configure the languages for the Internet Explorer and test the Web
application.
2. Configure Web Application Dynamically
a. Retrieve configuration settings at run time.
b. Modify configuration settings at run time.
c. Configure and test the Web application.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 19 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Summary

In this session, you learned that:

Appearance of some controls on the Web page depends on
run-time conditions.
Code can be written to add, remove, hide, or show controls in
response to conditions.
Resource files used by Microsoft .Net applications are useful
for handling cultural differences.
In implicit localization, specification can be given to a control to
read the values of its properties from a resource file.
In explicit localization, an expression can be used to direct a
control to take the value of a specific property from a specific
resource file.
Public methods and properties on the master page can be
called from code in the content page.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 20 of 21

Developing Web Applications Using ASP.NET
Summary (Contd.)

Controls on the master page cannot be referred directly from

the content page. The FindControl method must be used for
this reference.
The Page.MasterPageFile property can be used by
content page to refer a master page at run time.
The ASP.NET Configuration API can be used to write code to
configure the Web application without editing the XML
configuration file.

Ver. 1.0 Slide 21 of 21