Embedding files(resources) into a web control

I've written a number of web controls for ASP.net over the years, and one of the issues I had working with ASP.net 1.0 was how to sufficiently handle static files that ships with my controls (javascript, CSS, images etc).

When ASP.net 2.0 came along, it introduced the capability of embedding these static files into your controls' assembly, and allow you to reference them inside your control, inturn serving resources as axd files to the browser. (functionality extensively being ab... uhm used by Ajax.net)

In my demo we're going to write a very simple control that collapses content on a page, we've got two images and a piece of javascript that we're going to embed.

First off you will need to make sure that your static files are set as embedded resources in its build action property, like demonstrated in the image below.

 
[assembly: WebResource("DemoControl.images.down.jpg", "image/jpg")]
[assembly: WebResource("DemoControl.images.up.jpg", "image/jpg")]
[assembly: WebResource("DemoControl.javascripts.collapse.js", "text/javascript", PerformSubstitution = true)]
 

 
function toggle(sender, e)
{
    var content = document.getElementById(e);
    switch(content.style.display)
    {
        case "none":	content.style.display = "block";
                        sender.src = '<%= WebResource("DemoControl.images.up.jpg")%>';
                        break;
        case "block":	content.style.display = "none";
                        sender.src = '<%= WebResource("DemoControl.images.down.jpg")%>';
                        break;							
    }
}
 

 
private string WebResource(string resourceName)
{
    return Page.ClientScript.GetWebResourceUrl(this.GetType(), resourceName);
}
 

Comments

Post comment

Name	*
Email
Title
Body	*
Security Code	*
* Required fields