Sitemap, Menu control - formatting

[Trey Shaffer]

I'm new to ASP.net, and struggling with the sitemap and menu control.

I guess my general question might be, "Where can I find a discussion of the
format options for the control and the syntax of the sitemap?"

I am working with a Que book on Expression Web, and a variety of online
resources, like MSDN, but discussions of these topics are very short/basic,
leaving me with just a tease.

I would like to create a "typical" horizontal menu with the first/top level
visible at all times. Each of the top items should have associated
fly-out/drop-down items. Something like the following...


|| GPC Home || Newsletter || Membership || Hookbill
Fair || Contact Us ||

|| Fair Visitors ||

|| Fair Vendors ||

(Not sure how that will display, but the Visitors and Vendors items
should be below the Hookbill Fair item.)


I am having two basic problems. One I think is a formatting issue with the
control. The other is the syntax of the sitemap.

The sample sitemaps below should clarify. They are both "functional" in
that they compile/run, but do not produce the desired result.

The first produces a menu with a single top level item, "GPC Home" and six
dynamic submenu items.

The second produces a single top level item with three sub items. Closer,
but the "Contact" item should be at the same level as "Newsletter,"
"Membership," and "Hookbill Fair."


Version One - single top-level, visisble item, "GPC Home" with six
sub-items.

GPC Home
Newsletter
Membership
Hookbill Fair
Fair Visitors
Fair Vendors
Contact Us

<siteMap xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/AspNet/SiteMap-File-1.0" >
<siteMapNode url="~/Default.aspx" title="GPC Home" description="Improving
the lives of Birds" >
<siteMapNode url="~/Newsletter/Newsletter.aspx" title="Newsletter"
description="Squawk 'n Talk" />
<siteMapNode url="~/Membership/Membership.aspx" title="Membership"
description="Join GPC" />

<siteMapNode url="~/Fair/HookbillFair.aspx" title="Hookbill Fair"
description="All American Hookbill Fair" />
<siteMapNode url="~/Fair/Visitors.aspx" title="Fair Visitors"
description="Information for Fair visitors" />
<siteMapNode url="~/Fair/Vendors.aspx" title="Fair Vendors"
description="Information for Fair vendors" />

<siteMapNode url="~/Contact/Contact.aspx" title="Contact Us"
description="Contact GPC" />
</siteMapNode>
</siteMap>



Version Two

GPC Home
Newsletter
Membership
Hookbill Fair
Fair Visitors
Fair Vendors
Contact Us

<siteMap xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/AspNet/SiteMap-File-1.0" >
<siteMapNode url="~/Default.aspx" title="GPC Home" description="Improving
the lives of Birds" >
<siteMapNode url="~/Newsletter/Newsletter.aspx" title="Newsletter"
description="Squawk 'n Talk" />
<siteMapNode url="~/Membership/Membership.aspx" title="Membership"
description="Join GPC" />

<siteMapNode url="~/Fair/HookbillFair.aspx" title="Hookbill Fair"
description="All American Hookbill Fair" >
<siteMapNode url="~/Fair/Visitors.aspx" title="Fair Visitors"
description="Information for Fair visitors" />
<siteMapNode url="~/Fair/Vendors.aspx" title="Fair Vendors"
description="Information for Fair vendors" />
<siteMapNode/>

<siteMapNode url="~/Contact/Contact.aspx" title="Contact Us"
description="Contact GPC" />

</siteMapNode>
</siteMapNode>

</siteMap>

 

[Trey Shaffer]

A self-reply, incase someone else has similar issue...

Using the MS XML Notepad 2007 utility, I manipulated the XML in the semi-GUI
interface, and saw the result in the sitemap text file to figure out how to
create the navigation structure.

As for the display of the control, it was just playing with the various
parameters. Getting the horizontal display was almost intuitive, there is a
parameter for vertical/horizontal display. The trick was to make the second
level of the menu display static. It then appears on the same horizontal
line with the "Home" link.