My Development Notes

Master Pages

• A master page (.master) defines a set of ContentPlaceHolder controls
• Content pages define a Content control for each ContentPlaceHolder control defined in the master page it is linked to (MasterPageFile="~/MySite.Master" in the page declarative).
• Use

  <%@ MasterType VirtualPath="~/MySite.Master" > 
  

  To access public properties defined in that class like:

  Master.UserId
  

• A master page can also define a MasterPageFile (as the parent) and implement some Content controls, and defining more ContentPlaceHolder controls within them for child controls.
• The master page can be set dynamically in code by setting the MasterPageFile property.

  Session["masterpage"] = "AnotherMaster.master"; 
  Response.Redirect(Request.Url.ToString()); 
  
  //Then in PreInit
  MasterPageFile = (string) Session["masterpage"]; 
  
  

Themes

• Each theme has it's own folder in the App_Themes folder. Folder contains a .skin file, .css and images/resources.
• Skin file looks like:

  <asp:Button runat="server" BackColor="Red"/>
  
  <asp:Image runat="server" SkinId="CompanyLogo" ImageUrl="~/App_Themes/Fabrikam/fabrikam.jpg/>
  

• If SkinId not applied, applies to all controls of that type. Otherwise applied to controls that have a matching SkinId. property.
• The css file is automatically linked into the header of the masterpage.
• Order of precedence for applying themes (higher numbers override lower numbers):
  1. Theme attribute in Page directive.
  2. <pages Theme="themeName"> in the web.config file
  3. Local control attributes
  4. StyleSheetTheme in the page directive.
  5. <pages StyleSheetTheme="themeName"> in the web.config file.
• Can be set dynamically in PreInit using Page.Theme = "ThemeName" or Page.StyleSheetTheme = "ThemeName";