Expose nested HTML property on asp.net UserControl - asp.net

Question

I have an asp.net UserControl that writes HTML content from a SharePoint list to a Literal control. Currently I insert a title in h5 tags before each SharePoint list item I write to the Literal. Instead of having the title hardcoded to be placed in h5 tags, I'd like to expose a public property of my user control that lets me define the html format for the title. This is a little different from the templated user control questions I've found so many of because it's not really a template for the user control. I just need a string containing html. Here's what I'm looking to do:
public class MyUserControl: UserControl
{
public string TitleFormat { get; set; }
private void ShowContent()
{
...
string output = String.Format(TitleFormat, title) + someContent;
ltlOutput.Text = output.
}
}
In markup:
<UC:MyUserControl id="muc1" runat="server">
<TitleFormat>
<h3>{0}</h3>
</TitleFormat>
</UC:MyUserControl>
How can I set this up?

Answer 1

Here is the answer (provided by Decker Dong in the asp.net forums):
To nest another class into one, you have to declare a new property but
just declare it is an InnerProperty. And set its Design properties.
Now here's a full sample for you:
[ParseChildren(true),PersistChildren(false)]
public partial class MyUserControl : System.Web.UI.UserControl
{
[DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content)]
[PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
public string TitleFormat
{
get;
set;
}
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
}
}
With these attributes you can use the control as written in the question.

Answer 2

What you need is http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.itemplate.aspx
HTML
<test:NamingControl runat="server" ID="NamingControl" TitleFormat="This is myTitle">
<TitleFormatTemplate>
My title is <%# Container.TitleFormat %>
</TitleFormatTemplate>
</test:NamingControl>
UserControl
public partial class MyUserControl : System.Web.UI.UserControl
{
private ITemplate template;
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
}
public string TitleFormat
{
get;
set;
}
[PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty),
TemplateContainer(typeof(TitleFormatTemplate))]
public ITemplate TitleFormatTemplate
{
get { return template; }
set { template = value; }
}
protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
base.CreateChildControls();
TitleFormatTemplate t = new TitleFormatTemplate();
t.TitleFormat = this.TitleFormat;
template.InstantiateIn(t);
this.Controls.Add(t);
this.DataBind();
}
}
Child Control - INamingContainer
public class TitleFormatTemplate : Control, INamingContainer
{
private string _TitleFormat = "";
public string TitleFormat
{
get { return _TitleFormat; }
set { _TitleFormat = value; }
}
}
The simpler approach - No more TitleFormat tag
MyUserControl.ascx
<%# Control Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="MyUserControl.ascx.cs"
Inherits="testgingweb.usrcontrols.MyUserControl" %>
<h3><asp:Label runat="server" ID="PassedValueLabel"></asp:Label</h3>
The Codebehind - MyUserControl.ascx.cs
public string TitleFormat
{
get { return ViewState["TitleFormat"]; }
set { ViewState["TitleFormat"] = value; }
}
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
PassedValueLabel.Text = String.Format("Whatever {0} here", this.TitleFormat);
}
HTML
<test:MyUserContorl runat="server" ID="NamingControl" TitleFormat="This is myTitle">
</test:MyUserContorl>
Notice that I didn't have the TitleFormat tag anymore.