TemplateDefinition Class

Definition

Namespace:

System.Web.UI.Design

Assembly:

System.Design.dll

Provides properties and methods that define a template element in a Web server control at design time.

C#

public class TemplateDefinition : System.Web.UI.Design.DesignerObject

Inheritance

Object

DesignerObject

TemplateDefinition

Examples

The following code example demonstrates how to derive a custom class from the ControlDesigner class. This control designer supports a control with four possible templates.

To try it, add a reference to the System.Design.dll assembly, compile the code, and then, in a design host such as Visual Studio 2005, look at the page in Design view. Select the control, click the action list to select a template to modify, and then use the drag-and-drop feature to move controls into the template.

C#

using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Web.UI.Design;

namespace ASPNet.Design.Samples
{
    // Set an attribute reference to the designer, and define 
    // the HTML markup that the toolbox will write into the source.
    [Designer(typeof(TemplateGroupsSampleDesigner)),
        ToolboxData("<{0}:TemplateGroupsSample runat=server></{0}:TemplateGroupsSample>")]
    public sealed class TemplateGroupsSample : WebControl, INamingContainer
    {
        // Field for the templates
        private ITemplate[] _templates;

        // Constructor
        public TemplateGroupsSample()
        {
            _templates = new ITemplate[4];
        }

        // For each template property, set the designer attributes 
        // so the property does not appear in the property grid, but 
        // changes to the template are persisted in the control.
        [Browsable(false),
            PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public ITemplate Template1
        {
            get { return _templates[0]; }
            set { _templates[0] = value; }
        }
        [Browsable(false),
            PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public ITemplate Template2
        {
            get { return _templates[1]; }
            set { _templates[1] = value; }
        }
        [Browsable(false),
            PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public ITemplate Template3
        {
            get { return _templates[2]; }
            set { _templates[2] = value; }
        }
        [Browsable(false),
            PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public ITemplate Template4
        {
            get { return _templates[3]; }
            set { _templates[3] = value; }
        }

        protected override void CreateChildControls()
        {
            // Instantiate each template inside a panel
            // then add the panel to the Controls collection
            for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
            {
                Panel pan = new Panel();
                _templates[i].InstantiateIn(pan);
                this.Controls.Add(pan);
            }
        }
    }

    // Designer for the TemplateGroupsSample control
    public class TemplateGroupsSampleDesigner : ControlDesigner
    {
        TemplateGroupCollection col = null;

        public override void Initialize(IComponent component)
        {
            // Initialize the base
            base.Initialize(component);
            // Turn on template editing
            SetViewFlags(ViewFlags.TemplateEditing, true);
        }

        // Add instructions to the placeholder view of the control
        public override string GetDesignTimeHtml()
        {
            return CreatePlaceHolderDesignTimeHtml("Click here and use " +
                "the task menu to edit the templates.");
        }

        public override TemplateGroupCollection TemplateGroups
        {
            get
            {

                if (col == null)
                {
                    // Get the base collection
                    col = base.TemplateGroups;

                    // Create variables
                    TemplateGroup tempGroup;
                    TemplateDefinition tempDef;
                    TemplateGroupsSample ctl;

                    // Get reference to the component as TemplateGroupsSample
                    ctl = (TemplateGroupsSample)Component;

                    // Create a TemplateGroup
                    tempGroup = new TemplateGroup("Template Set A");

                    // Create a TemplateDefinition
                    tempDef = new TemplateDefinition(this, "Template A1", 
                        ctl, "Template1", true);

                    // Add the TemplateDefinition to the TemplateGroup
                    tempGroup.AddTemplateDefinition(tempDef);

                    // Create another TemplateDefinition
                    tempDef = new TemplateDefinition(this, "Template A2", 
                        ctl, "Template2", true);

                    // Add the TemplateDefinition to the TemplateGroup
                    tempGroup.AddTemplateDefinition(tempDef);

                    // Add the TemplateGroup to the TemplateGroupCollection
                    col.Add(tempGroup);

                    // Create another TemplateGroup and populate it
                    tempGroup = new TemplateGroup("Template Set B");
                    tempDef = new TemplateDefinition(this, "Template B1", 
                        ctl, "Template3", true);
                    tempGroup.AddTemplateDefinition(tempDef);
                    tempDef = new TemplateDefinition(this, "Template B2", 
                        ctl, "Template4", true);
                    tempGroup.AddTemplateDefinition(tempDef);

                    // Add the TemplateGroup to the TemplateGroupCollection
                    col.Add(tempGroup);
                }

                return col;
            }
        }

        // Do not allow direct resizing unless in TemplateMode
        public override bool AllowResize
        {
            get
            {
                if (this.InTemplateMode)
                    return true;
                else
                    return false;
            }
        }
    }
}

Remarks

The TemplateDefinition class provides a base template definition class that can be inherited from and extended for a control designer to use in providing support for templated controls in a design host such as Visual Studio 2005. A design host uses the properties and methods of the TemplateDefinition class to facilitate creating and editing a template at design time.

Constructors

TemplateDefinition(ControlDesigner, String, Object, String, Boolean)	Initializes a new instance of the TemplateDefinition class, using the provided designer, template name, template, property name, and whether to limit the template contents to Web server controls.
TemplateDefinition(ControlDesigner, String, Object, String, Style, Boolean)	Initializes a new instance of the TemplateDefinition class, using the provided designer, template name, template, property name, Style object, and whether to limit content to Web server controls.
TemplateDefinition(ControlDesigner, String, Object, String, Style)	Initializes a new instance of the TemplateDefinition class, using the provided designer, template name, template, property name, and Style object.
TemplateDefinition(ControlDesigner, String, Object, String)	Initializes a new instance of the TemplateDefinition class, using the provided designer, template name, template, and property name.

Properties

AllowEditing	Gets a value that indicates whether the template should enable editing of its contents.
Content	Gets or sets the HTML markup representing the content of the template.
Designer	Gets the associated designer component. (Inherited from DesignerObject)
Name	Gets the name of the object. (Inherited from DesignerObject)
Properties	Gets the object's properties. (Inherited from DesignerObject)
ServerControlsOnly	Retrieves a value indicating whether the template should limit content to Web server controls, as set in the TemplateDefinition constructor. This property is read-only.
Style	Retrieves the style that should be applied to the template as set in the TemplateDefinition constructor. This property is read-only.
SupportsDataBinding	Retrieves or sets a value indicating whether the template supports data binding.
TemplatedObject	Retrieves the component in which the template resides. This property is read-only.
TemplatePropertyName	Retrieves the property name for the template that the design host should display in the property grid.

Methods

Equals(Object)	Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object. (Inherited from Object)
GetHashCode()	Serves as the default hash function. (Inherited from Object)
GetService(Type)	Gets a service from the design host, as identified by the provided type. (Inherited from DesignerObject)
GetType()	Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object)
MemberwiseClone()	Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object)
ToString()	Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object)

Explicit Interface Implementations

IServiceProvider.GetService(Type)

For a description of this member, see GetService(Type). (Inherited from DesignerObject)

Applies to

See also

• ControlDesigner
• TemplateGroups
• TemplatedControlDesigner
• Extending Design-Time Support
• How to: Extend the Appearance and Behavior of Controls in Design Mode