Namespace problem .net

Question

I have created a folder called "Controls" in my asp.net application. In that folder are user controls (1 being DateRangePicker.ascx for example). Now I am creating a class in my app code folder and I am trying to cast something to a DateRangePicker,

 DateRangePicker drp = (CambitCMS.Controls.DateRangePicker)gvListing.Parent.Parent.FindControl("ucDateRangePicker");

And I am getting the following error: Error 2 The type or namespace name 'Controls' does not exist in the namespace 'CambitCMS' (are you missing an assembly reference?)

How do I properly reference this user control in a class?

I want my "ListingsBasePage" class to reference my DateRangePicker usercontrol, but if I put a namespace around the whole user control code it breaks the user control, it says all the things like the textboxes, labels, etc dont exist in current context when a namespace is wrapped around the code.

Here is the start of the class "ListingsBasePage" where I am triyng to reference the usercontrol

 using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Configuration;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Security;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.HtmlControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
using System.Xml.Linq;



public partial class ListingsBasePage : System.Web.UI.Page
{

    protected void gvListing_OnPreRender(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {

        protected void gvListing_OnPreRender(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {

            GridView gvListing = (GridView)sender;
            DateRangePicker drp = (CambitCMS.Controls.DateRangePicker)gvListing.Parent.Parent.FindControl("ucDateRangePicker");
            gvListing.PageSize = drp.recordsPerPage;
        }
    ........

And the start of the DatRangePickerControl

using System;
using System.Web.UI.HtmlControls;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;


    public partial class Controls_DateRangePicker : System.Web.UI.UserControl
    {
        public String FromDate
        {
            get
            {
                return tbFromDate.Text;
            }
        }

What type of ASP.NET project are you working with, website or application project? — IrishChieftain, Mar 02 '11 at 20:16
Can you post the first few lines of your DateRangePicker code? Specifically the namespace and class definitions. — Mike Cole, Mar 02 '11 at 20:29

IrishChieftain · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-02T21:34:52.873

2

This comes up time and time again with website projects. There is no concept of namespaces in website projects and referencing controls can be problematic. Go through some of the comments on the first link:

http://west-wind.com/weblog/posts/3016.aspx

http://forums.asp.net/p/1035070/1428363.aspx

http://www.codersbarn.com/post/2008/06/ASPNET-Web-Site-versus-Web-Application-Project.aspx (disclosure, this last link is my own blog)

Try putting the user control in the App_Code folder. Better still, use a Web Application Project instead and you should be able to avoid this issue.

UPDATE

One way around the problem of accessing user controls in website projects is to inline the code then put the user control in the App_Code folder:

http://odetocode.com/blogs/scott/archive/2005/10/01/asp-net-2-0-user-controls-in-app_code.aspx

Personally, this is a sloppy hack at best, and Microsoft do not recommend it:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t990ks23.aspx

I would create it as a custom server control with a (.cs) and put that in the App_Code folder. This should solve the referencing issue. Ultimately, website projects are not intended for serious work and this is just one reason why. Your best option is to build this as a Web Application project - I can't think of any logical reason for opting for the website template (compile optimizations can also be got with the WAP).

edited Mar 02 '11 at 21:34

answered Mar 02 '11 at 20:46

IrishChieftain

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Then try testing this scenario in a Web Application Project to confirm that it's an issue with the Website Project template... – IrishChieftain Mar 02 '11 at 21:13
It works in a website project fine. They want me to convert the project to a website app. In this class there is a cast to the user control "DateRangePicker" but in a website I cant find a way to reference it. The class is in the app code folder and the userControls are in a folder called "Controls" – Nick LaMarca Mar 02 '11 at 21:17
This is a known limitation when referencing user controls in Website projects which does not happen with Web application projects. Only solution I see is to change the DateRangePicker to a custom control or go with a the WAP. – IrishChieftain Mar 02 '11 at 21:20
What do you mean by this? "DateRangePicker to a custom control" – Nick LaMarca Mar 02 '11 at 21:24
The problem is with referencing user controls in website projects. See update in answer above... – IrishChieftain Mar 02 '11 at 21:28

JB King · Answer 2 · 2011-03-02T20:50:10.713

Does that "DateRangePicker.ascx.cs" implement a "CambitCMS.Controls.DateRangePicker" class or a "CambitCMS.DateRangePicker" class? Making sure the naming is right is one point here.

"Controls_DateRangePicker" is not the same as "CambitCMS.Controls.DateRangePicker" is why the compiler is reporting an error. Use the same class name in both files and it should be fine but right now it doesn't appear to be that way.

If the website is set up as a Web Application, it may have to be compiled so that Intellisense can pick up the class name which if you change it in the C# code behind you do have to update the .ascx file is likely where your other error was.

That doesnt work the Controls_DateRangePicker is not in the intelisense for some reason — Nick LaMarca, Mar 02 '11 at 20:44

Namespace problem .net

2 Answers2

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