Want to use an image instead of a text label to trigger the expanding/collapsing events of an "Atlas" CollapsiblePanel? You still use a "Label" control for the trigger, but you switch it up a bit by setting the "ExpandText" and "CollapseText" properties to the HTML code for an image, like this:
CollapsiblePanelProperties.ExpandedText = "<img src='\website\images\toggle_expand.gif' />"
CollapsiblePanelProperties.CollapsedText = "<img src='\website\images\collapsed_toggleExpand.gif' />"
It's the same trick you can use in DataGrids to create an image without an image control, and creates the desired effect, as shown below.
In a future post, I'll illustrate in detail how to combine several "Atlas" extenders to create a "Poor Man's Portal" control. I just need to clean up the code and make it a little more "elegant".
Did you know that there is a way to add controls to the Toolbox in Visual Studio 2005 than selececting "Add Items"? Just open Windows Explorer and browse to the assembly containing the controls you want. Select the assembly, and drag it onto the Toolbox, in the tab you want the controls to be in. Visual Studio 2005 will then add any class that has a "ToolboxItem" attribute on it to the Toolbox. Beats having to click a bunch of checkboxes, huh?
Microsoft just released the first public version of the "Atlas" Control Toolkit. This package is a series of sample ControlExtenders that attach to existing controls to do some really cool stuff. My favorite is the TextboxWatermark.
It also includes Project and Item templates to help you build your own controls. It's a separate download from the main "Atlas" release, but I would assume that this would be rolled into the "Atlas" releases at some point.
Check it out!
UPDATE: Did I mention it comes with the complete source code? :)
Soon, all will be revealed...
I can't wait to start talking about code again :).