Sitefinity ASP.NET CMS - Content Management System

Hi Everyone,
After some experimentation I have come up with an alternative solution to using Ajax Update panels in Sitefinity. It might not be ideal for everyone but I thought it might be worth sharing.

First I created my UserControl with Ajax Update Panel functionality in the standard way.

Then I created a second UserControl to upload to Sitefinity. This control has nothing but a single PlaceHolder control in the ascx. In the code behind I added the following...

string pageMode = base.Request.QueryString["cmspagemode"];

if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(pageMode) && (pageMode == "edit" || pageMode == "preview"))
{
// we are in Sitefinity's backend
// you could load in a message or dummy control

}
else
{

Control QuickSearchUserControl = LoadControl("~/UserControls/Custom/QuickSearchFrontend.ascx");
ControlPlaceHolder.Controls.Add(QuickSearchUserControl);
}

Basically it detects if you are in the Sitefinity backend using the QueryString "cmspagemode". If we are in the backend don't load the control with the Ajax Update Panel (as it causes issues when editing in sitefinity). If we aren’t load the control as normal.

This could easily be extended into a control with a property for the path to the UserControl to load in and maybe a second property for a message to show in when in the backend of Sitefinity. That way it could be reused across a Sitefinity Site and the path / message properties could be set in the Sitefinity UI.

Hope this is of some use to you

Thanks

Chris