My workshop at DevConnections

In my previous post, I omitted details on the full-day ASP.NET workshop scheduled for Friday Nov 11.

A Crash-course on ASP.NET 2.0 Control Development
I usually envision a full-day seminar at DevConnections as a session divided in four modules of approximately 90 minutes each. Four modules like the four main types of custom controls we have in ASP.NET--new/derived controls, data-bound controls, composite/templated controls, controls with some "script" capabilities. Basically, I plan to spend each module to cover one of the above families of custom controls. I think I may announce with good approximation the code and the samples I'll be discussing. (Slides and code are due in a couple of weeks, so I have still time to change my mind ...) In the first module, I'll discuss derived controls, namely controls that are built from a significant existing class. For example, a DropDownList with additional capabilities. My sample will show a drop-down list with an additional API to color items. A very special type of derived controls are brand-new controls--controls built starting from WebControl that require custom logic for control state, styles, rendering, and so on. I'll probably show a headline control to render title, icon and description of a news.

The second module is about data-bound controls. I'll add data-binding capabilities to the Headline control so that text and description can come from a data source--be it a data source or an item of an enumerable collection. Next, I'll show how to use ASP.NET 2.0 base classes to create (quickly) a custom list control class--the HeadlineList control.

With the third module, things get more complex as we'll delve deep into composite controls. Composite controls build a tree of child controls and maintain a list of child items. Not sure what control I'll build here--it could be a 100% pure HTML bar-chart with header and footer templates.

Finally, if time allows I'll discuss how to add script capabilities to ASP.NET controls. I could create a DHTML-enabled version of the Headline control (click to expand the title and show the abstract) or perhaps build a script-callback enabled control. (This is something that I'll be showing in my script callback talk too, again if time allows)

I should also be able to sprinkle some design-time tips here and there to spice up the workshop.

I've used several times the phrase "if time allows...". Should time not allow for all planned demos, no worries. You'll still be able to get full source code in various ways, including:

• In place, using your own USB drive
• Past conference, from the DevConnections web site
• Past conference, from my page on the Solid Quality Learning web site. (No such page online yet...)

Hope to see you in Las Vegas!