Ready to Use DatePicker Custom Control

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• Download demo project - 24.8 KB

Introduction

The article of Nikita D. Sinelnikoff and the source code of Guyon A. Roche inspired me to encapsulate the DatePicker inside a .NET Custom Control.

In addition, the source code of Nikita contained some mistakes, and I still had some useful extension ideas.

Bug fixes on Nikita's code and extensions

• If I click on the "Next Week" button, there is a missing object in JavaScript. I found that the function getDaysInMonth doesn't exist.
• Problem of dynamic positioning of the span tag.
• I extended the code with some nice colors. In this connection, I think it's a good idea to highlight the actual date.
• I added a check function on the input-field that checks the date for correct input if the user enters a date manually.
• I extended the class for multi-language support.
• I encapsulated all the functions in a custom control written in VB.NET.

How to use

There are the steps to use the control:

• Modify the DatePickerDynObject.GetLabels method if you want multi-language support. I can not post here the translation component I use in the real product environment!!! Maybe my article to generate multi-language websites very easily can help you.
• Copy MyOwnWebControls.dll in your solution bin folder and/or create a .NET Reference.
• Copy the Images and Js folders to your project folder.
• In your aspx or ascx file, append a line to publish the control, like this:

<%@ Register TagPrefix="DP" NameSpace="MyOwnWebControls" Assembly="MyOwnWebControls" %>

• Create an object in your aspx or ascx file, like this:

<DP:MyOwnWebControls.DatePickerControl id="DP_whatever_date" 
   Width="100px" RelPath="../" runat="server">
</DP:MyOwnWebControls.DatePickerControl>

• Create a server side variable in the code-behind:

Protected DP_whatever_date As MyOwnWebControls.MyOwnWebControls.DatePickerControl

Description of properties

The Custom Control supports these properties:

Property	Type	Defaultvalue	Description
Text	String		The content of the DatePicker edit field.
RelPath	String	../	Relative path to the locations of the DatePicker images, beginning from the page with the DatePicker object.
Tooltip	String		A tooltip.
Width	String	64px	Width in pixels.
CheckFunc	String	CheckDatePickerDate	The JS function to check the user input. You can write your own CheckMethod for specialized checks. The JS function must have only one parameter (the object ID) and returns true/false.
Disabled	Boolean	False	Decides if it's a read-only control

Special use mode

In my company, we often use the code-behind to generate some HTML objects with static HTML text and put this text inside a PlaceHolder with a LiteralControl. The DatePicker supports this feature too. It means, you can use the internal DatePickerDynObject class and call the GenerateDatePicker method to produce the core HTML stream used for the LiteralControl. Here comes some example code:

Dim oDP As New TXTChainWebControls.DatePickerDynObject
Dim oLiteral as LiteralControl

oLiteral = new LiteralControl (oDP.GenerateDatePicker(Me, Session, _
           "DP_whatever_date", "24.12.2006", "../"))

This method supports the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Defaultvalue	Description
Page	ByRef System.Web.UI.Page		Page where the DatePicker is.
oSession	ByRef As System.Web.SessionState. HttpSessionState		Active Session object.
id	String		The ID of the object.
value	String		Active date.
relpath	String	../	Relative path to the locations of the DatePicker images beginning from the page with the DatePicker object.
tooltip	Optional String		The tooltip.
width	Optional String	64px	Width in pixels.
bVisible	Optional Boolean	True	Visibility.
bDisabled	Optional Boolean	False	Decided if it's a read-only control.
checkfunc	Optional String	CheckDatePickerDate	The JS function to check the user input. You can write your own CheckMethod for specialized checks. The JS function must have only one parameter (the object ID), and returns true/false.

History

• 27.09.2006 - Bug fix.
• Solved the overlay problem with static listboxes (no z-order support for dynamically created listboxes).
• 22.09.2006 - Initial version.