subclass a usercontrol, drop down list control

[bryan]

Hi all,

I am developing a web app in .net 2.0.

I have a few DropDownLists that are used on multiple web forms, these
show shop locations and employees.

Each DDL is placed inside a Usercontrol and the user controls are
placed on the relevant pages.

In order to get at some of the properties of the DDLs from their host
web forms I have written methods and properties like the following -

public ListItem SelectedItem
{
get { return DDL_Employee.Se lectedItem; }
}

public IDataReader DataSource // set the data source od the DDL
{
get { return _dataSource; }
set { _dataSource = value; }
}

public void Employee_DDL_Lo ad(ref string MessageText)
{
IDataReader myCategories = null;
CommonHelper.Ex ecuteCommonRead er(ref myEmployee,
"ES_Employee_Ge tEmployees", ref MessageText);
DDL_Employee.Da taTextField = "Employee";
DDL_Employee.Da taValueField = "EmployeeID ";
DDL_Employee.Da taSource = myCategories;
DDL_Employee.Da taBind();
DDL_Employee.It ems.Insert(0, new ListItem("-- Select
Employee--", "0"));
}

[Augustin Prasanna]

Bryan,

see if this will help.

a) create a class 'UserControlBas e' that will subclass
System.Web.UI.U serControl.
b) Move common code to 'UserControlBas e' class.
c) Inherit 'UserControlBas e' class 'Shop', 'Employee' user controls.

Will this work?

Regards,
Augustin

"bryan" wrote:

Hi all,

I am developing a web app in .net 2.0.

I have a few DropDownLists that are used on multiple web forms, these
show shop locations and employees.

Each DDL is placed inside a Usercontrol and the user controls are
placed on the relevant pages.

In order to get at some of the properties of the DDLs from their host
web forms I have written methods and properties like the following -

public ListItem SelectedItem
{
get { return DDL_Employee.Se lectedItem; }
}

public IDataReader DataSource // set the data source od the DDL
{
get { return _dataSource; }
set { _dataSource = value; }
}

public void Employee_DDL_Lo ad(ref string MessageText)
{
IDataReader myCategories = null;
CommonHelper.Ex ecuteCommonRead er(ref myEmployee,
"ES_Employee_Ge tEmployees", ref MessageText);
DDL_Employee.Da taTextField = "Employee";
DDL_Employee.Da taValueField = "EmployeeID ";
DDL_Employee.Da taSource = myCategories;
DDL_Employee.Da taBind();
DDL_Employee.It ems.Insert(0, new ListItem("-- Select
Employee--", "0"));
}
.
.
///plus many other methods and properties

The problem is --- the user control for the shop locations contains
almost identical code as shown for employees. I will soon add other
DDLs for customers, products, etc...

Please advise me on how I can combine all this common code?

Thanks,

Bryan

[bryan]

Hi Augustin,

I think that is not as easy as I would hope...the DDL on
UserControlBase will not appear on the subclass. I have read a few
things about this.

Solved my problem another way - created a generic user control with a
drop down list inside it.

It contains genreric properties and methods like those described and
some special methods for filling certain DDLs, e.g. I use the generic
fill method to fill the offices, but to fill the employee ddl I need
more complicated logic...this is done in a second fill method.

OfficeDDL1.Gene ric_DDL_Load(); // fills the office ddl

EmployeeDDL1.Em ployee_DDL_Load (officeID) // fills the employee ddl
Thanks for your help.

Bryan
Augustin Prasanna wrote:

Bryan,

see if this will help.

a) create a class 'UserControlBas e' that will subclass
System.Web.UI.U serControl.
b) Move common code to 'UserControlBas e' class.
c) Inherit 'UserControlBas e' class 'Shop', 'Employee' user controls.

Will this work?

Regards,
Augustin

"bryan" wrote:

Hi all,

I am developing a web app in .net 2.0.

I have a few DropDownLists that are used on multiple web forms, these
show shop locations and employees.

Each DDL is placed inside a Usercontrol and the user controls are
placed on the relevant pages.

In order to get at some of the properties of the DDLs from their host
web forms I have written methods and properties like the following -

public ListItem SelectedItem
{
get { return DDL_Employee.Se lectedItem; }
}

public IDataReader DataSource // set the data source od the DDL
{
get { return _dataSource; }
set { _dataSource = value; }
}

public void Employee_DDL_Lo ad(ref string MessageText)
{
IDataReader myCategories = null;
CommonHelper.Ex ecuteCommonRead er(ref myEmployee,
"ES_Employee_Ge tEmployees", ref MessageText);
DDL_Employee.Da taTextField = "Employee";
DDL_Employee.Da taValueField = "EmployeeID ";
DDL_Employee.Da taSource = myCategories;
DDL_Employee.Da taBind();
DDL_Employee.It ems.Insert(0, new ListItem("-- Select
Employee--", "0"));
}
.
.
///plus many other methods and properties

The problem is --- the user control for the shop locations contains
almost identical code as shown for employees. I will soon add other
DDLs for customers, products, etc...

Please advise me on how I can combine all this common code?

Thanks,

Bryan