Techniques for custom formatting?

Question

User-2106555521 posted

I've seen things like the DataTypeAttribute and the UIHintAttribute.ControlParameters for passing in custom "hints" to the field templates on how to display..

But it seems like these could get fairly messy fairly fast.

For example I have a Dynamic User Control that's composed of a radiobuttonlist and a textbox

I need to be able to customize things like:
RepeatDirection, Repeatcolumns, Colors, fonts, Textboxmode(multiline, singline), rows, columns, etc....
Or sometimes I need the textbox above the radiobuttons, sometimes below, sometimes to the left with 5 spaces between, etc.....

Is my only option to replicate all the possible control parameters of a textbox and radiobuttonlist into the UIHint and all possible customizations?
Maybe instead create an inherited UIHint that takes strongly typed customization that are easier to handle....
Or should I just create seperate UC for each different implementation, each maybe inheriting from the same code class and they all apply the formatting themselves?

or is dynamic data more well suited if the formatting of the fields aren't going to change that much from page to page?

ideas?

 

Answer 1

User-330204900 posted

UIHint and DataType attributes work per column you can do some generic stuff in code like: Dynamic Data And Custom Metadata Providers: by Matt Berseth

Also have a look at my blog and at DD Futures which has an InMemeoryMetadata provider.

But if you want to have standard pages but with customised layout have a look at my series of articles here:

1. Custom PageTemplates Part 1 - Custom PageTemplates with Ajax Control Toolkit Tabs
2. Custom PageTemplates Part 2 - A variation of Part 1 with the Details and SubGrid in Tabs
3. Custom PageTemplates Part 3 - Dynamic/Templated Grid with Insert (Using ListView)
4. Custom PageTemplates Part 4 - Dynamic/Templated FromView