Custom Template loadable from database?

[DC]

Hi,

I need a GridView with highly customizable column layouts. I think
loading templates (from .ascx files) or making up classes that
implement ITemplate would do. BUT: the templates must be loadable from
a database. Ideally, I would store the text that is normally entered
in the <asp:TemplateColumntag and recreate the templates from
database at runtime.

Unfortunately TemplateColumn does not offer a Parse(string
templateData) method or something like that. I guess that is because
the templates need to be compiled on startup. TemplateControlParser
does not expose a lot.

I guess in the worst case I could write .ascx at runtime (taking the
template data from a database). I was just hoping somebody knows a
more elegant way.

Thanks for any feedback on this!

Regards
DC