Develop Reference

How create an ASP.NET C# that can generate its own field and and new panels?

I am trying to create a web app that can create a survey form just like google forms.
<asp:Panel ID="container" runat="server"></asp:Panel>
<asp:Panel ID="question" runat="server" Height="391px">
<br />
<br />
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" Text="Question: " Font-Size="Large"></asp:Label>
<asp:TextBox ID="txtQuestion" runat="server" Font-Size="Large"></asp:TextBox>
<asp:DropDownList ID="lstQuestionType" runat="server">
<asp:ListItem Enabled="False" Selected="True">Question Type</asp:ListItem>
<asp:ListItem>Short Answer</asp:ListItem>
<asp:ListItem>Paragraph</asp:ListItem>
<asp:ListItem>Multiple Choice</asp:ListItem>
<asp:ListItem>Check Box</asp:ListItem>
<asp:ListItem>Linear Scale</asp:ListItem>
</asp:DropDownList>
<asp:Button ID="btnGenerate" runat="server" OnClick="btnGenerate_Click" Text="Generate Question" Width="137px" />
</asp:Panel>
<asp:Button ID="btnAddQuestion" runat="server" Text="Add Question" OnClick="btnAddQuestion_Click" />
and this is the C# code that generates the panel
protected void btnAddQuestion_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Panel newQuestions = new Panel();
newQuestions = question;
container.Controls.Add(newQuestions);
}
but when I click the add question button, it does not add the panel

Although i can't tell from the code probably the problem is with the question parameter. Also use MVC with controllers it will be much more clean and also VS automatically generates the View for you based on your models and controllers which i guess it will save you time in the long run.

Adding Non-Standard Attribute to asp:LinkButton inside Repeater prevents the run of OnItemCommand

I am integrating a Foundation 5 Reveal Modal component with an <asp:LinkButton>. For the reveal modal to work it requires the addition of a non-standard HTML attribute data-reveal-id to the <asp:LinkButton>. If I do 'not' add this attribute in the .aspx below, then clicking the LinkButton will trigger rptNotice_ItemCommand. However, when data-reveal-id is added to the LinkButton as shown below rptNotice_ItemCommand does not run, and lbMessage is not updated. The lbMessage is required by the database upon submission of the modal form.
How do I get this to work?
Is there another way to keep track of the message ID?
In the .aspx file
<!-- Foundation 5 Reveal Modal -->
<div id="replyModal" class="reveal-modal" data-reveal>
<h2>Reply to Notice</h2>
<asp:Label ID="lbMessage" runat="server" />
<asp:TextBox ID='tbFollowQuestion' runat="server" TextMode="MultiLine" Width="100%" /><br />
<asp:Button ID="btnFollowCancel" runat="server" Text="Cancel" OnClick="followQuestionCancel_Clicked" />
<asp:Button ID="btnFollowQuestion" runat="server" Text="Submit" OnClick="followQuestionSave_Clicked" />
<a class="close-reveal-modal">×</a>
</div>
<asp:Repeater ID="rptNotice" runat="server" OnItemCommand="rptNotice_ItemCommand">
<ItemTemplate>
<div class="row padding-bottom-10 border-bottom-1 margin-bottom-10">
<!-- LinkButton -->
<div class="small-6 medium-2 xlarge-1 columns">
<asp:LinkButton data-reveal-id="replyModal" CommandName="Contact" CommandArgument='<%#Eval("MessageId")%>' ToolTip="Reply" runat="server"><img src="/images/icon/envelop.jpg" alt="Contact Us"><strong class="font-size-14">Reply</strong></asp:LinkButton>
</div>
</div>
</ItemTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>
In the .aspx.cs file
public void rptNotice_ItemCommand(object source, System.Web.UI.WebControls.RepeaterCommandEventArgs e)
{
lbMessage.Text = "MessageId: " + e.CommandArgument.ToObjectString();
}

There seems to be possible parsing issue due to unknown parameter. I would suggest using CommandArgument field. Try "replyModal" to CommandArgument .
Split the value at backend and get operation type.

Postback via update panel resets TabIndex?

This is the only related post I've found so far on SO, not my exact issue, but close.
If I give focus to the first textbox on my page and then press TAB repeatedly until I reach the last control on my page the tab order works flawlessly, every control is given focus in the correct order.
BUT...
If I am actually filling out the form and I select a value in ANY dropdownlist, when I press TAB after selecting the value focus is given to the first textbox on my page rather than the next control after said dropdownlist.
I created a control that includes a label, a dropdownlist and an imagebutton because this list is used multiple times throughout my application. The control looks like this:
<%# Control Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="OrganizationList.ascx.cs" Inherits="MyApp.Web.Controls.OrganizationList" %>
<%# Register src="UpdateProgress.ascx" tagname="UpdateProgress" tagprefix="uc1" %>
<%# Register src="Address.ascx" tagname="Address" tagprefix="uc2" %>
<asp:UpdatePanel ID="OrganizationUpdatePanel" runat="server" ChildrenAsTriggers="false" UpdateMode="Conditional">
<ContentTemplate>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div class="label"><asp:Label ID="Prompt" runat="server"></asp:Label>:</div>
<div class="field"><asp:DropDownList ID="Organizations" runat="server" Width="205" AutoPostBack="True" DataTextField="Name" DataValueField="Id"></asp:DropDownList> <asp:ImageButton id="AddOrganization" runat="server" ImageAlign="AbsMiddle" ToolTip="Add a new organization" onclick="AddOrganization_Click" /></div>
</div>
<asp:HiddenField ID="DummyButton" runat="server" />
<ajax:ModalPopupExtender ID="AddOrganizationModalPopupExtender" runat="server" BackgroundCssClass="modalBackground" CancelControlID="Cancel" DropShadow="true" PopupControlID="NewOrganization" RepositionMode="RepositionOnWindowResizeAndScroll" TargetControlID="DummyButton"></ajax:ModalPopupExtender>
<asp:Panel ID="NewOrganization" runat="server" CssClass="modalPopUp" Width="500">
<asp:Panel ID="OrganizationModalContent" runat="server" CssClass="modalContent" GroupingText="Add Organization" style="text-align: left; vertical-align: top;" Width="490">
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tr><td colspan="2"><asp:ValidationSummary ID="OrganizationValidationSummary" runat="server" CssClass="ValidationSummary" ValidationGroup="NewOrg" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="label"><asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="NameRequired" runat="server" ControlToValidate="Name" Display="Dynamic" ErrorMessage="Please provide the organization's name." SetFocusOnError="true" ValidationGroup="NewOrg">*</asp:RequiredFieldValidator>Organization Name:</td>
<td><asp:TextBox ID="Name" runat="server" MaxLength="100" Width="200"></asp:TextBox></td></tr>
<tr><td class="label"><asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="PhoneRequired" runat="server" ControlToValidate="Phone" Display="Dynamic" ErrorMessage="Please provide the organization's phone number." SetFocusOnError="true" ValidationGroup="NewOrg">*</asp:RequiredFieldValidator>Phone:</td>
<td><ajax:MaskedEditExtender ID="PhoneMaskedEditExtender" runat="server" ClearTextOnInvalid="true" InputDirection="LeftToRight" Mask="(999)999-9999" MaskType="Number" MessageValidatorTip="true" PromptCharacter="_" TargetControlID="Phone"></ajax:MaskedEditExtender>
<asp:TextBox ID="Phone" runat="server" MaxLength="10" Width="200"></asp:TextBox></td></tr>
<tr><td class="label">Fax:<br />(optional)</td>
<td><ajax:MaskedEditExtender ID="FaxMaskedEditExtender" runat="server" ClearTextOnInvalid="true" InputDirection="LeftToRight" Mask="(999)999-9999" MaskType="Number" MessageValidatorTip="true" PromptCharacter="_" TargetControlID="Fax"></ajax:MaskedEditExtender>
<asp:TextBox ID="Fax" runat="server" MaxLength="10" Width="200"></asp:TextBox></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><uc2:Address ID="Address" runat="server" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: right;"><asp:HiddenField ID="TypeOfList" runat="server" /><asp:Button ID="Submit" runat="server" CausesValidation="true" Text="Submit" onclick="Submit_Click" ValidationGroup="NewOrg" /><asp:Button ID="Cancel" runat="server" Text="Cancel" /></td></tr>
</table>
</asp:Panel>
</asp:Panel>
</ContentTemplate>
</asp:UpdatePanel>
<uc1:UpdateProgress ID="OrganizationUpdateProgress" runat="server" AssociatedUpdatePanelId="OrganizationUpdatePanel" />
Here's the TabIndex property on my control:
public short TabIndex
{
get { return Organizations.TabIndex; }
set { Organizations.TabIndex = value; AddOrganization.TabIndex = (short)(value + 1); }
}
Here's one of the references to the control on the parent page:
<uc3:OrganizationList ID="ReportedBy" runat="server" FieldLabel="Reported By" ListType="ReportedBy" TabIndex="105" />
Not sure what else you might want/need to see.
Browsers: IE8, IE9, IE10, FF 29.0.1
We've had some issues with IE versions above 9, so I added a HTTP Response Header to emulate IE9
My users claim that they primarily TAB to navigate in my app, so this is actually a higher priority bug than I expected. I don't know why the TabIndex is ignored once a value is selected.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
UPDATE:
I do have 1 dropdownlist that is just an out-of-the-box dropdownlist, not a user control. That one works correctly. I can select a value in that list and then press TAB and the focus moves to the next control. So, can anyone help me figure out what is "wrong" with my user control that is causing this bug?

These two posts helped me figure out what I needed to do:
A postback via update panel resets TabIndex?
Accessing ToolKitScriptManager/ScriptManager from custom control
I added a SelectedIndexChanged event handler to my DropDownList in my control and set the focus back to the DropDownList. Here's the code:
protected void Organizations_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
DropDownList ddl = (DropDownList)sender;
ScriptManager scriptMgr = ScriptManager.GetCurrent(Page);
scriptMgr.SetFocus(ddl);
}
Here's the control on the .aspx page:
<asp:DropDownList ID="Organizations" runat="server" Width="205" OnSelectedIndexChanged="Organizations_SelectedIndexChanged" AutoPostBack="True" DataTextField="Name" DataValueField="Id"></asp:DropDownList>
2014.05.22 UPDATE:
In my custom control I have an image button (+) named AddOrganization. In testing the fix yesterday we discovered that if a user clicked the '+' to add a new organization...after they saved the organization...the new value would get auto-selected (as expected) but the tabbing would get reset again. So I had to modify my button click event handler:
protected void Submit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (Page.IsValid)
{
// Do stuff...save organization
// update the list
BindOrganizationList();
// select the new value
Organizations.SelectedIndex = Organizations.Items.IndexOf(Organizations.Items.FindByText(OrganizationName.Text.ToUpper().Trim()));
// reset the form
ResetOrganizationForm();
OrganizationUpdatePanel.Update();
// set focus back to the dropdownlist
ScriptManager scriptMgr = ScriptManager.GetCurrent(Page);
scriptMgr.SetFocus(Organizations);
}
else
{
// Display friendly validation messages to user
}
}

Validation in Update Panel within a Repeater

I am using an Update Panel within a Repeater. I need for the Update Panel to contain validation. The validation is in place but is getting fired for each Panel. I need it to only be applied to the Panel being accessed.
<asp:Repeater ID="rptComments"
runat="server"
OnItemDataBound="rptComments_OnItemDataBound"
OnItemCommand="rptComments_OnItemCommand">
<HeaderTemplate>
<ul class="comments">
</HeaderTemplate>
<ItemTemplate>
<li>
<asp:UpdatePanel ID="updatePanelReply" runat="server" UpdateMode="Conditional" >
<ContentTemplate>
<asp:PlaceHolder ID="plcForm" runat="server">
<div class="errors">
<asp:ValidationSummary ID="nestedCommentsValidation" ValidationGroup="nestedSubmit" runat="server" cssClass="validation" ForeColor="Red" />
</div>
<label>Name<sup>*</sup></label>
<asp:TextBox ID="tbReplyName" runat="server" cssClass="styledInput"></asp:TextBox><br />
<asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="rfv_tbReplyName"
runat="server"
Display="None"
ControlToValidate="tbReplyName"
InitialValue=""
ErrorMessage="Please enter your name."
ValidationGroup="nestedSubmit">
</asp:RequiredFieldValidator>
<asp:Button ID="btnButton" runat="server" Text="Button" CssClass="submit-button" CommandName="SubmitReply" ValidationGroup="nestedSubmit" />
</asp:PlaceHolder>
</ContentTemplate>
</asp:UpdatePanel>
</li>
</ItemTemplate>
<FooterTemplate>
</ul>
</FooterTemplate>
</asp:Repeater>

Are you using different validation groups in your different panels? The whole point of the validation group is that the validators will only validate the controls that are in the same group.

I ended up taking out the validation group and handling it in the OnItemCommand event. There may be a slicker way of doing it, but this worked for me.
if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(tbReplyName.Text.ToString().Trim()))
strValidationMessage = "<li>Please enter your name.</li>";
Literal ltrErrorMessage = (Literal)e.Item.FindControl("ltrErrorMessage");
ltrErrorMessage.Text = strValidationMessage;

BackgroundCssClass not being applied with ModalpopupExtender

I am trying to create this webpage that shows a database with a "Master-Detail" type view. To do this I am following this tutorial http://mattberseth.com/blog/2008/04/masterdetail_with_the_gridview.html.
The only difference is that I am not using ObjectDataSource, instead I am just using my SQL - DataBase.
Here's the problem: When I click on the link to show the modalPopup, the BackgroundCssClass is not being applied, and the popup just shows up in the corner of the screen without changing the background and opacity. Anyone know whats going on?
Here's the code:
CSS
<style type="text/css">
TR.updated TD
{
background-color:yellow;
}
.modalBackground
{
background-color:Gray;
filter:alpha(opacity=70);
opacity:0.7;
}
</style>
Modalpopup part (right above this is the gridview that shows the "Master" section of the Database, this works fine so I didn't include it.
<asp:UpdatePanel ID="updPnlReservationDetail" runat="server" UpdateMode="Conditional">
<ContentTemplate>
<asp:Button id="btnShowPopup" runat="server" style="display:none" />
<ajaxToolKit:ModalPopupExtender ID="mdlPopup" runat="server"
TargetControlID="btnShowPopup" PopupControlID="pnlPopup"
CancelControlID="btnClose"
BackgroundCssClass="modalBackground" />
<asp:DetailsView ID="dvReservationDetail" runat="server" DataSourceID="mainTable" CssClass="detailgrid"
GridLines="None" DefaultMode="Edit" AutoGenerateRows="false" Visible="false" Width="100%">
<Fields>
<asp:BoundField HeaderText="LabName" DataField="labName" ReadOnly="true" />
<asp:TemplateField HeaderText="Email">
<EditItemTemplate>
<asp:TextBox ID="txtEmail" runat="server" Text="Hello" />
</EditItemTemplate>
</asp:TemplateField>
</Fields>
</asp:DetailsView>
<div class="footer">
<asp:LinkButton ID="btnSave" runat="server"
Text="Save" OnClick="BtnSave_Click" CausesValidation="true"
/>
<asp:LinkButton ID="btnClose" runat="server"
Text="Close" CausesValidation="false"
/>
</div>
</ContentTemplate>
</asp:UpdatePanel>
</asp:Panel>

maybe you are using <asp:ScriptManager runat="server" /> instead of <ajaxToolKit:ToolkitScriptManager runat="server" />
here's a little example of "normal" usage, just in case
<asp:Button ID="btnShow_ClientSide" runat="server"
Text="show client side" OnClientClick="return false" />
<asp:Button ID="btnShow_ServerSide" runat="server"
Text="show server side" OnClick="btnShow_ServerSide_Click" />
<ajaxToolKit:ModalPopupExtender ID="mdlPopup" runat="server"
TargetControlID="btnShow_ClientSide"
PopupControlID="pnlPopup" CancelControlID="btnHide_ClientSide"
BackgroundCssClass="modalBackground" />
<asp:Panel ID="pnlPopup" runat="server"
BackColor="White" BorderColor="Black">
<asp:Button ID="btnHide_ClientSide" runat="server"
Text="hide client side" OnClientClick="return false" />
<asp:Button ID="btnHide_ServerSide" runat="server"
Text="hide server side" OnClick="btnHide_ServerSide_Click" />
</asp:Panel>
and in the code behind
protected void btnShow_ServerSide_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
mdlPopup.Show();
}
protected void btnHide_ServerSide_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
mdlPopup.Hide();
}

I had a completely different cause of this problem, and here's the solution, which I found on this very helpful walk-through page.
BackgroundCssClass: The name of the CSS class which needs to be applied to the background of the popup. One thing to note here is that if you don’t provide a CSS class then the modal popup will not function like a modal dialog i.e. One will be able to interact with the controls in the back of the popup control, so its imperative to provide a valid CSS class name value to the BackgroundCssClass property. In the above e.g. we have defined a CSS class called “backgroundColor” in the header section of the aspx page. Please note in the CSS class definition we have applied “filter” property to make the background transparent.
I had made a typo in the .css file, which prevented reading the background style. As soon as the CSS was working, the popup became modal and had its proper background.