I answered a related question:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/11700540/1268570
But in this answer I will go deeper.
I will post a templated server control with design support and with custom behavior:
Container code
[ToolboxItem(false)]
public class TemplatedServerAddressContainer : WebControl, INamingContainer
{
public string Address { get; protected set; }
public TemplatedServerAddressContainer(string address)
{
this.Address = address;
}
}
- The above control will be in charge to keep the data you want to send to the control as OUTPUT. That will be the control you will instantiate your template in
Server Control
[DefaultProperty("Address")]
[ToolboxItem(true)]
[ToolboxData("<{0}:TemplatedServerAddressControl runate=server></{0}:TemplatedServerAddressControl>")]
[Designer(typeof(TemplatedServerAddressDesigner))]
//[ToolboxBitmap(typeof(TemplatedServerAddressControl), "")]
[Description("My templated server control")]
[ParseChildren(true)]
public class TemplatedServerAddressControl : WebControl
{
private TemplatedServerAddressContainer addressContainer;
[Bindable(true)]
[Localizable(true)]
[DefaultValue(null)]
[Description("The custom address")]
[Category("Apperance")]
[Browsable(true)]
public string Address
{
get
{
return (this.ViewState["Address"] ?? string.Empty).ToString();
}
set
{
this.ViewState["Address"] = value;
}
}
[Browsable(false)]
[DefaultValue(null)]
[Description("Address template")]
[PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
[TemplateContainer(typeof(TemplatedServerAddressContainer))]
[TemplateInstance(TemplateInstance.Multiple)]
public ITemplate AddressTemplate { get; set; }
[Browsable(false)]
[DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Hidden)]
public TemplatedServerAddressContainer AddressContainer
{
get
{
this.EnsureChildControls();
return this.addressContainer;
}
internal set
{
this.addressContainer = value;
}
}
public override ControlCollection Controls
{
get
{
this.EnsureChildControls();
return base.Controls;
}
}
public override void DataBind()
{
this.CreateChildControls();
this.ChildControlsCreated = true;
base.DataBind();
}
protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
this.Controls.Clear();
if (this.AddressTemplate != null)
{
this.addressContainer = new TemplatedServerAddressContainer(this.Address);
this.AddressTemplate.InstantiateIn(this.addressContainer);
this.Controls.Add(this.addressContainer);
}
}
protected override bool OnBubbleEvent(object source, EventArgs args)
{
if (args is CommandEventArgs)
{
var commandArgs = args as CommandEventArgs;
switch (commandArgs.CommandName)
{
case "DoSomething":
// place here your custom logic
this.Page.Response.Write("Command bubbled");
return true;
}
}
return base.OnBubbleEvent(source, args);
}
}
The public string Address property is used as control INPUT, you can create all the input properties you need in order to execute your task.
public ITemplate AddressTemplate { get; set; } This represents the template of your control. The name you give to this property will be the name used in the page's markup as the name of your template
public TemplatedServerAddressContainer AddressContainer This property is just for designer support
In order to create correctly the child controls you need to override the following methods and properties: Controls, DataBind and CreateChildControls
Overriding the OnBubbleEvent, you will be able to react to specific events coming from the control.
Designer support
public class TemplatedServerAddressDesigner : ControlDesigner
{
private TemplatedServerAddressControl controlInstance;
public override void Initialize(IComponent component)
{
this.controlInstance = (TemplatedServerAddressControl)component;
base.Initialize(component);
}
public override string GetDesignTimeHtml()
{
var sw = new StringWriter();
var htmlWriter = new HtmlTextWriter(sw);
var controlTemplate = this.controlInstance.AddressTemplate;
if (controlTemplate != null)
{
this.controlInstance.AddressContainer = new TemplatedServerAddressContainer(
this.controlInstance.Address
);
controlTemplate.InstantiateIn(this.controlInstance.AddressContainer);
this.controlInstance.DataBind();
this.controlInstance.RenderControl(htmlWriter);
}
return sw.ToString();
}
}
ASPX markup
<%@ Register Assembly="Msts" Namespace="Msts.Topics.Chapter07___Server_Controls.Lesson02___Server_Controls" TagPrefix="address" %>
<asp:Content ID="Content1" ContentPlaceHolderID="ContentPlaceHolder1" runat="server">
<address:TemplatedServerAddressControl runat="server" ID="addressControl1">
<AddressTemplate>
<b>
Address:
</b>
<u>
<asp:Literal Text="<%# Container.Address %>" runat="server" />
</u>
<asp:Button Text="text" runat="server" OnClick="Unnamed_Click" ID="myButton" />
<br />
<asp:Button Text="Command bubbled" runat="server" CommandName="DoSomething" OnClick="Unnamed2_Click1" />
</AddressTemplate>
</address:TemplatedServerAddressControl>
</asp:Content>
ASPX code behind
public partial class TemplatedServerAddress : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.addressControl1.Address = "Super Cool";
this.DataBind();
}
protected void Unnamed_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.Response.Write("From custom button" + DateTime.Now.ToString());
}
protected void Unnamed2_Click1(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.Response.Write("From command button " + DateTime.Now.ToString());
}
}
Notice how you can set control's properties without problems in the correct event: this.addressControl1.Address = "Super Cool";
Notice how your control can handle custom events this.Response.Write("From custom button" + DateTime.Now.ToString());
And finally, to indicate to your control that you want to perform something, just create a button with the command name exposed by your control like this: <asp:Button Text="Command bubbled" runat="server" CommandName="DoSomething" OnClick="Unnamed2_Click1" /> optionally, your button can contain an event handler that will be handled prior to bubbling the event.
I uploaded this code sample completely functional to my GitHub for reference
