How to Use Master Pages - How to create a master page
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As figure 3-2 shows, you create a master page by using the Website->Add New Item command. Master Page is listed as one of the templates in the Add New Item dialog box. Select this template, select Visual Basic as the language, and click Add to create the master page. The default name for a master page is MasterPage.master.
The master page created from the template includes a ContentPlaceHolder control that will contain the content page, but nothing else. You’ll learn more about the ContentPlaceHolder control in the next figure. For now, just realize that it marks the location on the rendered page where the content from the content page will be displayed.
You can develop the master page by adding elements outside of the ContentPlaceHolder control. For example, to create the master page in figure 3-1, you add an image for a banner above the placeholder, navigation links to the left of the placeholder, and a label to display the days remaining until Halloween below the placeholder. Typically, you’ll use an HTML table to specify the layout of these elements.
Note that an application can contain more than one master page. This allows you to create an application that has two or more sections with distinct page layouts. For example, you may want to use one master page for all of the content pages in the online shopping section of a web site, and another master page for the content pages in the customer service section.
In addition, you should realize that a master page can have more than one content placeholder. This lets you create a page layout that has custom content in two or more different areas of the page. To create an additional content placeholder, you simply drag the ContentPlaceHolder control from the Standard tab of the Toolbox onto the master page and give it a unique ID.
A new master page in Design view (figure 3-2)
Description
- To add a master page to a project, choose the Website->Add New Item command. Then, in the Add New Item dialog box, select Master Page from the list of templates, specify the name of the master page you want to create in the Name text box (the default is Master Page.master), and select the programming language. Then, click Add.
- The content placeholder appears as a control in the Web Forms Designer. Although you can change the position of the content placeholder, you can’t edit its contents from the master page. Instead, you add content to the master page by creating content pages as described later in this chapter.
- Any elements you add to the master page outside of the content placeholder will appear on every content page that uses the master page.
- Although most master pages have just one content placeholder, you can create more than one content placeholder if you need to. In that case, each placeholder displays a portion of the content of each content page.
- An application can have more than one master page, and each content page specifies which master page should be used to display the content page.
- The aspx file for a master page uses the extension .master. The code-behind file uses .master.vb.
Next: The aspx code for a new master page >>
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 This article is excerpted from chapter three of the book Murach’s ASP.NET 2.0 Upgrader’s Guide: VB Edition, written by Anne Boehm and Joel Murach (Murach, 2005; ISBN: 1-890774-36-7). Check it out today at your favorite bookstore. Buy this book now.
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