ConnectionProviderAttribute Class
Assembly: System.Web (in system.web.dll)
[AttributeUsageAttribute(AttributeTargets::Method)] public ref class ConnectionProviderAttribute : public Attribute
/** @attribute AttributeUsageAttribute(AttributeTargets.Method) */ public class ConnectionProviderAttribute extends Attribute
AttributeUsageAttribute(AttributeTargets.Method) public class ConnectionProviderAttribute extends Attribute
A Web Parts connection consists of two server controls residing in a WebPartZoneBase zone and sharing data by means of an interface instance passed from one control to the other. The control that serves the interface instance is called the provider, and the control that receives the interface instance and processes or displays the data is called the consumer. For details on connections, see the WebPartConnection class and Web Parts Connections Overview.
The provider control in a connection can be a WebPart control or any type of server or user control, but it must have a method designated as a callback method. The callback method is invoked during the connection process, and its purpose is to return to the consumer an interface instance that contains data. To designate the method that serves as the callback method in a provider, you must add a ConnectionProviderAttribute metadata element to the method (the element is based on the ConnectionProviderAttribute class).
In addition to designating the callback method in a provider, the ConnectionProviderAttribute object also enables you to specify certain details about a provider's connection point. A provider connection point is an instance of the ProviderConnectionPoint class that encapsulates all the details about a provider needed to establish a connection, including the provider's control type, whether it can connect to multiple consumers at the same time, what type of interface the provider serves to consumers, details about the callback method, and a display name that represents the provider connection point in the user interface (UI). Every Web Parts connection includes a provider connection point that is associated with the provider control.
When you add the ConnectionProviderAttribute metadata element to the callback method in a provider, you can also use it to specify the following details about the provider connection point: a display name for the connection point (for details, see the DisplayName property), whether the provider can connect to multiple consumers at the same time (for details, see the AllowsMultipleConnections property), an ID for the connection point (for details, see the ID property), and the type of the connection point that the provider uses (for details, see the ConnectionPointType property). The four overloads of the constructor for the ConnectionProviderAttribute class each have parameters that allow you to specify values for one or more of these connection point properties when a new instance of the class is created. Most of the properties for a provider connection point can also be set programmatically; setting them using the ConnectionProviderAttribute element is optional.
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| When you add the ConnectionProviderAttribute metadata element to a callback method in a provider, the only required parameter that you must always specify is the displayName parameter (for details, see the ConnectionProviderAttribute(String) constructor overload). The value of this parameter is assigned to the DisplayName property, and when a user opens the connection UI (created by the ConnectionsZone control), the display name represents the provider connection point in the UI. If you designate multiple callback methods in a provider control, you will have multiple possible connection points to choose from, and when you add the ConnectionProviderAttribute metadata element to each callback method, you should also specify a value for the id parameter, so that each provider connection point has a known, unique identifier. |
The following code example demonstrates using the ConnectionProviderAttribute class, by showing how to declare the ConnectionProviderAttribute metadata element on a callback method in a provider control. Note that the simplest overload of the constructor is used; only the displayName parameter value is supplied.
The following code examples demonstrate how to create a basic, static connection between two Web Parts controls using the WebPartConnection class. The provider and consumer code files should be put into the App_Code folder under the application folder that contains the .aspx page.
The first example shows a class acting as a provider. Notice that a method is designated as the callback method with the ConnectionProviderAttribute metadata element.
The second example shows a class acting as a consumer.
The final example shows the ASP.NET page that contains the two controls.
- AspNetHostingPermission for operating in a hosted environment. Demand value: LinkDemand; Permission value: Minimal.
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Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, 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.
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