ControlPersister Class

Provides methods for persisting Web server controls at design-time.

Namespace: System.Web.UI.Design
Assembly: System.Design (in system.design.dll)

public ref class ControlPersister sealed
public final class ControlPersister
public final class ControlPersister

The T:System.Web.UI.Design.ControlPersister class provides methods that can persist a Control control or an ITemplate interface implementation as a string of aspx code. The implementation of these methods is driven by metadata attributes, such as the DefaultValueAttribute, PersistenceModeAttribute, and DesignerSerializationVisibilityAttribute.

NoteNote

The Web Forms page designer does not support the ResetPropertyName method that is optionally exposed by Microsoft Windows Forms-based controls for property persistence.

To create a T:System.Web.UI.Control object or an ITemplate interface by parsing a string of control- or template-persistence data, use the ControlParser class methods.

#using <System.dll>
#using <System.Drawing.dll>
#using <System.Web.dll>
#using <System.Design.dll>
#using <System.Windows.Forms.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Drawing;
using namespace System::Drawing::Design;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Web::UI;
using namespace System::Web::UI::Design;
using namespace System::Web::UI::WebControls;
using namespace System::ComponentModel;
using namespace System::ComponentModel::Design;
using namespace System::Windows::Forms;
using namespace System::Windows::Forms::Design;

// Provides a form with a multiline text box display.
private ref class StringDisplayForm: public Form
{
public:
   StringDisplayForm( String^ displayText )
   {
      this->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 400, 400 );
      this->Text = "Control Persistence String";
      this->SuspendLayout();
      System::Windows::Forms::TextBox^ tbox = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::TextBox;
      tbox->Multiline = true;
      tbox->Size = System::Drawing::Size( this->Width - 40, this->Height - 90 );
      tbox->Text = displayText;
      this->Controls->Add( tbox );
      System::Windows::Forms::Button^ okButton = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button;
      okButton->Text = "OK";
      okButton->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 80, 24 );
      okButton->Location = Point(this->Width - 100,this->Height - 60);
      okButton->Anchor = AnchorStyles(AnchorStyles::Bottom | AnchorStyles::Right);
      okButton->DialogResult = ::DialogResult::OK;
      this->Controls->Add( okButton );
      this->ResumeLayout();
   }

};

// Provides a form with a list for selection.
private ref class ControlSelectionForm: public Form
{
private:
   array<System::Web::UI::Control^>^controlArray;

public:
   System::Windows::Forms::ListBox^ controlList;
   ControlSelectionForm( array<System::Web::UI::Control^>^controlArray )
   {
      this->controlArray = controlArray;
      this->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 400, 500 );
      this->Text = "Control Persister Selection Form";
      this->SuspendLayout();
      System::Windows::Forms::Label ^ label1 = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Label;
      label1->Text = "Select the control to persist:";
      label1->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 240, 20 );
      label1->Location = Point(10,10);
      this->Controls->Add( label1 );
      controlList = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::ListBox;
      controlList->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 370, 400 );
      controlList->Location = Point(10,30);
      controlList->Anchor = AnchorStyles(AnchorStyles::Left | AnchorStyles::Top | AnchorStyles::Bottom | AnchorStyles::Right);
      this->Controls->Add( controlList );
      System::Windows::Forms::Button^ okButton = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button;
      okButton->Text = "OK";
      okButton->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 80, 24 );
      okButton->Location = Point(this->Width - 100,this->Height - 60);
      okButton->Anchor = AnchorStyles(AnchorStyles::Bottom | AnchorStyles::Right);
      okButton->DialogResult = ::DialogResult::OK;
      this->Controls->Add( okButton );
      System::Windows::Forms::Button^ cancelButton = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button;
      cancelButton->Text = "Cancel";
      cancelButton->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 80, 24 );
      cancelButton->Location = Point(this->Width - 200,this->Height - 60);
      cancelButton->Anchor = AnchorStyles(AnchorStyles::Bottom | AnchorStyles::Right);
      cancelButton->DialogResult = ::DialogResult::Cancel;
      this->Controls->Add( cancelButton );
      for ( int i = 0; i < controlArray->Length; i++ )
         controlList->Items->Add( controlArray[ i ]->UniqueID );
      this->ResumeLayout();
   }
};

// Provides a form with a multiline text box for input.
private ref class StringInputForm: public Form
{
public:
   System::Windows::Forms::TextBox^ tbox;
   StringInputForm()
   {
      this->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 400, 400 );
      this->Text = "Input Control Persistence String";
      this->SuspendLayout();
      tbox = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::TextBox;
      tbox->Multiline = true;
      tbox->Size = System::Drawing::Size( this->Width - 40, this->Height - 90 );
      tbox->Text = "";
      this->Controls->Add( tbox );
      System::Windows::Forms::Button^ okButton = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button;
      okButton->Text = "OK";
      okButton->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 80, 24 );
      okButton->Location = Point(this->Width - 100,this->Height - 60);
      okButton->Anchor = AnchorStyles(AnchorStyles::Bottom | AnchorStyles::Right);
      okButton->DialogResult = ::DialogResult::OK;
      this->Controls->Add( okButton );
      System::Windows::Forms::Button^ cancelButton = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button;
      cancelButton->Text = "Cancel";
      cancelButton->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 80, 24 );
      cancelButton->Location = Point(this->Width - 200,this->Height - 60);
      cancelButton->Anchor = AnchorStyles(AnchorStyles::Bottom | AnchorStyles::Right);
      cancelButton->DialogResult = ::DialogResult::Cancel;
      this->Controls->Add( cancelButton );
      this->ResumeLayout();
   }
};


// Web control designer provides an interface
// to use the ControlPersister and ControlParser.
public ref class ControlParserPersisterDesigner: public System::Web::UI::Design::ControlDesigner
{
public:
   ControlParserPersisterDesigner()
      : ControlDesigner()
   {}

   property System::ComponentModel::Design::DesignerVerbCollection^ Verbs 
   {
      // Provides designer verb menu commands to
      // persist a control and to load a persisted control.
      [System::Security::Permissions::PermissionSetAttribute(System::Security::Permissions::SecurityAction::Demand, Name="FullTrust")]
      virtual System::ComponentModel::Design::DesignerVerbCollection^ get() override
      {
         DesignerVerbCollection^ dvc = gcnew DesignerVerbCollection;
         dvc->Add( gcnew DesignerVerb( "Load Persisted Control...",gcnew EventHandler( this, &ControlParserPersisterDesigner::loadPersistedControl ) ) );
         dvc->Add( gcnew DesignerVerb( "Parse and Save Control...",gcnew EventHandler( this, &ControlParserPersisterDesigner::saveControl ) ) );
         return dvc;
      }

   }

private:

   // Displays a textbox form to receive an HTML
   // String* that represents a control, and creates
   // a toolbox item for the control, if not already
   // present in the selected toolbox category.
   void loadPersistedControl( Object^ /*sender*/, EventArgs^ /*e*/ )
   {
      // Display a StringInputForm to obtain a persisted control String*.
      StringInputForm^ inputForm = gcnew StringInputForm;
      if ( inputForm->ShowDialog() != DialogResult::OK )
            return;

      if ( inputForm->tbox->Text->Length < 2 )
            return;

      // Obtain an IDesignerHost* for the design-mode document.
	  IDesignerHost^ host = dynamic_cast<IDesignerHost^>(this->Component->Site->GetService( IDesignerHost::typeid ));
      
      // Create a Web control from the persisted control String*.
      System::Web::UI::Control^ ctrl = ControlParser::ParseControl( host, inputForm->tbox->Text->Trim() );

      // Create a Web control toolbox item for the type of the control
      WebControlToolboxItem^ item = gcnew WebControlToolboxItem( ctrl->GetType() );
      
      // Add the Web control toolbox item to the toolbox
      IToolboxService^ toolService = dynamic_cast<IToolboxService^>(this->Component->Site->GetService( IToolboxService::typeid ));
      if ( toolService != nullptr )
            toolService->AddToolboxItem( item );
      else
            throw gcnew Exception( "IToolboxService* was not found." );
   }

   // Displays a list of controls in the project, if any,
   // and displays the HTML representing the persisted, selected control.
   void saveControl( Object^ /*sender*/, EventArgs^ /*e*/ )
   {
      // Get the collection of components in the current
      // design mode document.
      ComponentCollection^ documentComponents = this->Component->Site->Container->Components;

      // Filter the components to those that derive from the
      // System::Web::UI::Control class.
      // Create an IComponent* array of the maximum possible length needed.
      array<IComponent^>^filterArray = gcnew array<IComponent^>(documentComponents->Count);

      // Count the total qualifying components.
      int total = 0;
      for ( int i = 0; i < documentComponents->Count; i++ )
      {
         // If the component derives from System::Web::UI::Control,
         // copy a reference to the control to the filterArray
         // array and increment the control count.
         if ( System::Web::UI::Control::typeid->IsAssignableFrom( documentComponents[i]->GetType() ) )
         {
            if ( (dynamic_cast<System::Web::UI::Control^>(documentComponents[i]))->UniqueID != nullptr )
            {
               filterArray[total] = documentComponents[i];
               total++;
            }
         }

      }
      if ( total == 0 )
            throw gcnew Exception( "Document contains no System::Web::UI::Control components." );

      // Move the components that derive from System::Web::UI::Control to a
      // new array of the correct size.
      array<System::Web::UI::Control^>^controlArray = gcnew array<System::Web::UI::Control^>(total);
      for ( int i = 0; i < total; i++ )
         controlArray[i] = dynamic_cast<System::Web::UI::Control^>(filterArray[i]);

      // Create a ControlSelectionForm to provide a persistence
      // configuration interface.
      ControlSelectionForm^ selectionForm = gcnew ControlSelectionForm( controlArray );

      // Display the form.
      if ( selectionForm->ShowDialog() != DialogResult::OK )
            return;

      // Validate the selection.
      if ( selectionForm->controlList->SelectedIndex == -1 )
            throw gcnew Exception( "You must select a control to persist." );

      // Parse the selected control.
      String^ persistedData = ControlPersister::PersistControl( controlArray[ selectionForm->controlList->SelectedIndex ] );

      // Display the control persistence String* in a text box.
      StringDisplayForm^ displayForm = gcnew StringDisplayForm( persistedData );
      displayForm->ShowDialog();
   }
};

// Simple text display control hosts the ControlParserPersisterDesigner.

[DesignerAttribute(ControlParserPersisterDesigner::typeid,IDesigner::typeid)]
public ref class ControlParserPersisterDesignerControl: public WebControl
{
private:
   String^ text;

public:

   property String^ Text 
   {
      [Bindable(true),
      Category("Appearance"),
      DefaultValue("")]
      String^ get()
      {
         return text;
      }

      void set( String^ value )
      {
         text = value;
      }
   }
   ControlParserPersisterDesignerControl()
      : WebControl()
   {
      text = "Right-click here to access control persistence methods in design mode";
   }

protected:
   virtual void Render( HtmlTextWriter^ output ) override
   {
      output->Write( Text );
   }
};

System.Object
  System.Web.UI.Design.ControlPersister

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 2.0, 1.1, 1.0
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