Developing Custom WebPart using ASP.NET Web User Control

In this post I will explian how to build a custom WebPart for SharePoint 2007 and how to use ASP.NET Web User Control in it. I am using Visual Studio 2008 for the development.

Following are the steps to create a custom webpart and calling/loading Web User Control in it:

Building WebPart and Web User Control project

1. Craete ASP.NET Web Application Project.


2. Delete Default.aspx.


3. Add two new folders: UserControls and WebPart into the solution.


4. Add new Web User Control in UserControls folder.


5. Add new CS Class file TrainingWP.cs in WebPart folder.


6. Add reference to SharePoint.dll (C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.dll)


7. Add followign code to TrainingWP.cs



namespace Training
{
    [Guid("2E4AFAAA-AE99-4e15-9972-E6195EFBDD9C")]
    public class TrainingWP : WebPart
    {
        private Control uc = null;
        private string ucPath = "~/UserControls/TrainingUC.ascx";

        protected override void CreateChildControls()
        {
            try
            {
                uc = Page.LoadControl(ucPath);
                this.Controls.Add(uc);
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                throw ex;
            }
            finally
            {
                base.CreateChildControls();
            }
        }
    }
}


We are overriding the CreateChildControls method of the WebPart class in which we will load the Web User Control.

8. Go to Tools -> Create GUID and copy/paste GUID above the class and add reference using System.Runtime.InteropServices; line.
   
9. Open code behind for Web User Control and add using Microsoft.SharePoint; line and in Page_Load function write hello world code and build the solution.

Deploying the WebPart and the Web User Control

1. In Project Properties -> Build Event tab -> Post-build Event Command add following line:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Bin\gacutil.exe" /i $(TargetPath)
   This will deploy our webpart dll into GAC after building the solution.


2. In Project Properties -> Signing tab -> check Sign Assembly -> and give a name.


3. Build the solution and WebPart should be deployed into GAC (c:\Windows\assembly).


4. Create DWP File using following XML



 
  
   
   Cannot import this Web Part.
  
  
   
    Training Web Part
   
  
 



5. Upload DWP file to WebPart Gallery. DWP file tells SharePoint to load which library when webpart is called.


6. Open the root folder of the Web Application and edit Web.config. Under <SafeControls> add following line




7. Under <assemblies> in Web.config add following line




8. Copy UserControls folder in to the root folder of the Web Application.(Just copy ASCX)


9. Do iisreset and add the WebPart on the page through Web UI of the site.

Thats it :o). Happy Programming.