S
Sky
Hello:
I've searched high and low on the net looking for an answer to the following
design problem...any body have experience creating professional level server
controls?
Design goal:
Create a web control that has embedded images for nav buttons within the
control so that all the required parts (images, scripts, etc.) are contained
in the assembly, and not require tricky installation of supporting images
etc before it will work correctly...
Steps taken so far:
a. Create two controls: one the visible control, the second an IhttpHandler
based ResourceServer, to send back embedded images
(see
http://www.codeproject.com/aspnet/ressrvpage.asp?df=100&forumid=15106&exp=0&select=688037
for a good starting point on the ResourceServer, which I extended so that it
automatically installs the required entries in the config.web file, if the
app has rights to the file/folder).
b. Set the Img.Src's of the visible control to an url that will get filtered
by the IhttpHandler to the ResourceServer: eg:
"Resources.aspx?Res=TestControl.Resources.Graphics.left.gif" which sends
back the left.gif image.
d. Create a Designer to work with the control which simply wraps the
controls.Render() method and therefore provides the same look and feel in
the IDE as what is sent to the client.
Result:
Works great during Runtime...
Problem:
Because the IhttpHandler seems to only work when the app is actually
running, the images don't come in within the IDE -- only run-time. This is
generally fine -- but not great: I can't distribute this dll because it
looks pretty unfinished/buggy in the IDE......
My question is the following:
How are professional Component companies (eg: ComponentOne, etc.) embedding
resources and getting them to work in the IDE?
a) Are they dumping the images to a folder? I can't see any such folder
anywhere in the directory so I don't think they do it that way.
b) Can it not be done, therefore, create plain Buttons when
Site.DesignMode=true, and use Imgs only in runtime? it look like they don't
need to resort to this.
c) ?Anybody have a better solution? I've looked at several books -- but they
don't cover this. And I havn't (yet?) found an article that talks about this
on the net.
This is really leaving me perplexed and frustrated.
I've searched high and low on the net looking for an answer to the following
design problem...any body have experience creating professional level server
controls?
Design goal:
Create a web control that has embedded images for nav buttons within the
control so that all the required parts (images, scripts, etc.) are contained
in the assembly, and not require tricky installation of supporting images
etc before it will work correctly...
Steps taken so far:
a. Create two controls: one the visible control, the second an IhttpHandler
based ResourceServer, to send back embedded images
(see
http://www.codeproject.com/aspnet/ressrvpage.asp?df=100&forumid=15106&exp=0&select=688037
for a good starting point on the ResourceServer, which I extended so that it
automatically installs the required entries in the config.web file, if the
app has rights to the file/folder).
b. Set the Img.Src's of the visible control to an url that will get filtered
by the IhttpHandler to the ResourceServer: eg:
"Resources.aspx?Res=TestControl.Resources.Graphics.left.gif" which sends
back the left.gif image.
d. Create a Designer to work with the control which simply wraps the
controls.Render() method and therefore provides the same look and feel in
the IDE as what is sent to the client.
Result:
Works great during Runtime...
Problem:
Because the IhttpHandler seems to only work when the app is actually
running, the images don't come in within the IDE -- only run-time. This is
generally fine -- but not great: I can't distribute this dll because it
looks pretty unfinished/buggy in the IDE......
My question is the following:
How are professional Component companies (eg: ComponentOne, etc.) embedding
resources and getting them to work in the IDE?
a) Are they dumping the images to a folder? I can't see any such folder
anywhere in the directory so I don't think they do it that way.
b) Can it not be done, therefore, create plain Buttons when
Site.DesignMode=true, and use Imgs only in runtime? it look like they don't
need to resort to this.
c) ?Anybody have a better solution? I've looked at several books -- but they
don't cover this. And I havn't (yet?) found an article that talks about this
on the net.
This is really leaving me perplexed and frustrated.