Creating Complex Web Parts in Sharepoint 2007 using Web User Control

My task this few days was to research on how to create comple Web Parts in Sharepoint 2007. Ideally, I create my web parts using code-behind code. In other words, I create the controls dynamically. This was gruesome in my part, because from positioning to event-handlers may take a lot of time, debugging, and most specially in designing. Take a look at my sample code I used to design a very simple web part:



protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
base.CreateChildControls();

// TODO: add custom rendering code here.

Button myButton = new Button();
myButton.Text = "Click";
myButton.Width = 50;
myButton.Height = 50;

myButton.Click += new EventHandler(myButton_Click);

this.Controls.Add(myButton);

}

void myButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//throw new Exception("The method or operation is not implemented.");
myLabelPublic = new Label();
myLabelPublic.Text = "For testing only. For testing only. For testing only.";
this.Controls.Add(myLabelPublic);

}

Basically, this code generate a button on it's page load. After the load, if user clicks the button, obviously, a new Label will generate displaying the message. This is not the way I want to develop my Web Parts, because it takes a lot of time.

So after a long time research, I found another way to create not just simple but you can make it complex using Web User Control. I did suspect Web User Control at the first place but I don't know how to figure it out. Anyway, here are the steps:

1.) First, of course, create your Web User Control. You have the option on how you create it, but in my part, I create it using ASP.NET 2.0 IDE. What I usually did is I create a blank page, then I add a new item which is Web User Control. Take note to uncheck the option which separate your code in a separate file.

2.) Second, design your Web User Control (ascx), from its physical design to its logic coding.

3.) Copy your ascx file to this directory: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\CONTROLTEMPLATES

4.) Then use this sample code as your reference for adding your Web User Control file in your .cs file:



protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
base.CreateChildControls();

// TODO: add custom rendering code here.

this.Controls.Clear();
userControl = (UserControl)this.Page.LoadControl(@"/_controltemplates/Test.ascx");
this.Controls.Add(userControl);
}


protected override void RenderContents(HtmlTextWriter writer)
{
//base.RenderContents(writer);
userControl.RenderControl(writer);
}


5.) Last build then deploy your site. Make sure your output is the URL of your sharepoint site for successful deployment of your Web Part.