Tough Question: Accessing controls inside inline template in a user control, in a repeater

[Dave]

I have the following ASP.NET 2.0 code (simplified here for ease):

<asp:Repeater id="SearchResul tsRepeater" runat="server">
<ItemTemplate >
<uc:SearchResul t ID="SearchResul t"
ResultObject="< %#Container.Dat aItem%>" runat="server">
<ButtonsTemplat e>
<uc:ViewButto n ID="ViewButton "
ListingReferenc e='<%#Eval("Lis tingReference") %>' runat="server" />
</ButtonsTemplate >
</uc:SearchResult >
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

This works fine except for the databinding on user control "ViewButton "
property ListingReferenc e. Does anyone know how to get the databinding to
work in this example?

For reference moving <uc:ViewButtono utside the inline template will work
with no problem, but is not what I want:

<asp:Repeater id="SearchResul tsRepeater" runat="server">
<ItemTemplate >
<uc:SearchResul t ID="SearchResul t"
ResultObject="< %#Container.Dat aItem%>" runat="server" />
<ButtonsTemplat e>

</ButtonsTemplate >
</uc:SearchResult >
<uc:ViewButto n ID="ViewButton "
ListingReferenc e='<%#Eval("Lis tingReference") %>' runat="server" />
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

I have also tried accessing <uc:ViewButtonp rogrammatically but I don't
know where to find the control:

Protected Sub SearchResultsRe peater_ItemData Bound(ByVal sender As
Object, ByVal e As System.Web.UI.W ebControls.Repe aterItemEventAr gs) Handles
SearchResultsRe peater.ItemData Bound
Dim result As SearchResultObj ect = CType(e.Item.Da taItem,
SearchResultObj ect)
If result IsNot Nothing Then
Dim resultUserContr ol As SearchResult =
CType(e.Item.Fi ndControl("Sear chResult"), SearchResult)
' FOR EXAMPLE THIS WILL NOT WORK:
' Dim viewButton As ViewButton =
CType(resultUse rControl.FindCo ntrol("ViewButt on"), ViewButton)
' viewButton.List ingReference = result.ListingR eference
End If
End Sub

Does anyone know how I find the control in this example?

Thanks!

[Dave]

After using a hack that used CSS to place the buttons using positioning, I
decided to revisit this and come up with a proper ASP.NET solution. My user
control "Search Result" contains the following code:

Protected _buttonsTemplat e As ITemplate = Nothing

<PersistenceMod e(PersistenceMo de.InnerPropert y),
TemplateContain er(GetType(Temp lateControl))_
Public Property ButtonsTemplate () As ITemplate
Get
Return _buttonsTemplat e
End Get
Set(ByVal value As ITemplate)
_buttonsTemplat e = value
End Set
End Property

Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles Me.Load
If _buttonsTemplat e IsNot Nothing Then
_buttonsTemplat e.InstantiateIn (ButtonsPlaceHo lder)
End If
End Sub

I added an overrided CreateChildCont rols() routine and moved the code from
the Page_Load event:

Protected Overrides Sub CreateChildCont rols()
MyBase.CreateCh ildControls()
If _buttonsTemplat e IsNot Nothing Then
_buttonsTemplat e.InstantiateIn (ButtonsPlaceHo lder)
End If
End Sub

I can now use FindControl to access any controls I place in the
<ButtonsTemplat einline template (see below)
"Dave" <no****@spam3ma il.comwrote in message
news:fl******** *************@f e1.news.blueyon der.co.uk...

>I have the following ASP.NET 2.0 code (simplified here for ease):

<asp:Repeater id="SearchResul tsRepeater" runat="server">
<ItemTemplate >
<uc:SearchResul t ID="SearchResul t"
ResultObject="< %#Container.Dat aItem%>" runat="server">
<ButtonsTemplat e>
<uc:ViewButto n ID="ViewButton "
ListingReferenc e='<%#Eval("Lis tingReference") %>' runat="server" />
</ButtonsTemplate >
</uc:SearchResult >
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

This works fine except for the databinding on user control "ViewButton "
property ListingReferenc e. Does anyone know how to get the databinding to
work in this example?

For reference moving <uc:ViewButtono utside the inline template will work
with no problem, but is not what I want:

<asp:Repeater id="SearchResul tsRepeater" runat="server">
<ItemTemplate >
<uc:SearchResul t ID="SearchResul t"
ResultObject="< %#Container.Dat aItem%>" runat="server" />
<ButtonsTemplat e>

</ButtonsTemplate >
</uc:SearchResult >
<uc:ViewButto n ID="ViewButton "
ListingReferenc e='<%#Eval("Lis tingReference") %>' runat="server" />
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

I have also tried accessing <uc:ViewButtonp rogrammatically but I don't
know where to find the control:

Protected Sub SearchResultsRe peater_ItemData Bound(ByVal sender As
Object, ByVal e As System.Web.UI.W ebControls.Repe aterItemEventAr gs)
Handles SearchResultsRe peater.ItemData Bound
Dim result As SearchResultObj ect = CType(e.Item.Da taItem,
SearchResultObj ect)
If result IsNot Nothing Then
Dim resultUserContr ol As SearchResult =
CType(e.Item.Fi ndControl("Sear chResult"), SearchResult)
' FOR EXAMPLE THIS WILL NOT WORK:
' Dim viewButton As ViewButton =
CType(resultUse rControl.FindCo ntrol("ViewButt on"), ViewButton)
' viewButton.List ingReference = result.ListingR eference
End If
End Sub

Does anyone know how I find the control in this example?

Thanks!