Wrap automatically inserted TextBoxes with HTML in ASP.NET

Question

I want to generate TextBoxes in my ASP.NET webpage. It works fine

    foreach (var Field in db.A_Settings)
    {
        TextBox t = new TextBox();
        t.ID = Field.ID.ToString();
        t.CssClass = "smallinput";
        t.Text = Field.Text;
        LabelPlaceHolder.Controls.Add(t);
    }

And it nicely generates something like this:

<input name="ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$1" type="text" value="ValueA" id="ContentPlaceHolder1_1" class="smallinput">
<input name="ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$2" type="text" value="ValueB" id="ContentPlaceHolder1_4" class="smallinput">
<input name="ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$3" type="text" value="ValueC" id="ContentPlaceHolder1_5" class="smallinput">

It is correct, but in fact I want to wrap it with some HTML, like

<p>
    <label>Label for the first TextBox obtained from database</label>
    <span class="field">
        <input name="ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$1" type="text" value="ValueA" id="ContentPlaceHolder1_1" class="smallinput">
    </span>
</p>

I couldn't found how to do it this way, so I was thinking about putting it into List<TextBox>, but I'm stuck here either (the same problem - no idea how to wrap the object with HTML).

Is there any way to do this?

For any posts like "Why don't you add those TextBoxes manually?" I'll send a photo of me hitting my head at keyboard, while there will be a dump of SQL with dozens of fields that needs to be handled displayed on the screen :)
Or a photo of a lemur. Lemurs are okay, too

99823 · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-11 18:07:05Z

1

Not the cleanest solution, but should work...

foreach (var Field in db.A_Settings)
{
    TextBox t = new TextBox();
    t.ID = Field.ID.ToString();
    t.CssClass = "smallinput";
    t.Text = Field.Text;
    //add literal control containing html that should appear before textbox
    LabelPlaceHolder.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("html before"));
    LabelPlaceHolder.Controls.Add(t);
    //add literal control containing html that should appear after textbox
    LabelPlaceHolder.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("html after"));
}

answered Apr 11, 2013 at 18:07

99823

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Comments

Jason P · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-11 18:20:03Z

0

I would probably use a Repeater control:

    <asp:Repeater ID="SettingsRepeater" runat="server">
        <ItemTemplate>
            <p>
                <asp:Label ID="ItemLabel" runat="server"></asp:Label>
                <span class="field">
                    <asp:TextBox ID="ItemTextbox" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>
                </span>
            </p>
        </ItemTemplate>
    </asp:Repeater>

And bind the list to the repeater:

SettingsRepeater.DataSource = db.A_Settings;
SettingsRepeater.DataBind();

Then write your ItemDataBound code to set the existing values.

answered Apr 11, 2013 at 18:20

Jason P

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2 Comments

Lemur Over a year ago

It would be problematic with gathering the fields' values and then saving them back into database - that is why my IDs are the same as from database. And values may be set by simply doing <asp:TextBox ID="ItemTextbox" runat="server" Text='<%#Eval("Text")'> Besides, Repeater is sometimes buggy and problematic to use. Thanks for the answer anyway!

Jason P Over a year ago

You could create a hidden field in the repeater item that contains the field id, or give the textbox an attribute: ItemTextbox.Attributes["id"] = Field.ID; and read that back as you iterate the repeater items. But to each his own.

Win · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-11 19:15:45Z

0

You want HtmlGenericControl controls.

foreach (var Field in db.A_Settings)
{
    TextBox t = new TextBox();
    t.ID = Field.ID.ToString();
    t.CssClass = "smallinput";
    t.Text = Field.Text;

    var label = new HtmlGenericControl("label");
    label.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("LABEL TEXT"));

    var p = new HtmlGenericControl("p");
    p.Controls.Add(label);

    var span = new HtmlGenericControl("span");
    span.Attributes.Add("class", "field");
    span.Controls.Add(t);
    p.Controls.Add(span);

    LabelPlaceHolder.Controls.Add(p);
}

answered Apr 11, 2013 at 19:15

Win

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Comments

Razvan Trifan · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-11 20:23:52Z

0

You can create custom ASP.NET Controls that can render any HTML you need. Have a look at this: Developing a Simple ASP.NET Server Control. This way you can create your a control called CustomTextBox which will render a Textbox inside a paragraph.

answered Apr 11, 2013 at 20:23

Razvan Trifan

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