MDI form, simple question (Resolved)

[flair]

Hi all,
I am trying to create an MDI form in a web application. Somehow I can't find the MDI property. Is it a part of a normal .aspx page? Can't find it there.
Kindly bear with my ignorance.
Thanks,
flair

[mendhak]

You won't find it in ASP.NET.

[flair]

Thanks Mendhak.
I thought so. Does that mean that the only option I have is the creation of a user defined control? I am trying to achieve it through a .ascx file. Is there a simpler and a better approach?

[mendhak]

Maybe you should tell us what you are trying to do and WHY that would involve MDIs. We could give you better suggestions.

[flair]

I am creating an application where I need the menus to be always visible. There can be only one active page at a time and the menus also depend upon the role assigned to logged in user.
I want to achieve something similar to MDI and modal forms in VB 6.0

[mendhak]

One page visible at a time -> one web page visible at a time

Different menu for different users -> You'll have to include the menu control depending upon the 'userlevel' of that user, and based upon that, show the corresponding menu.

[flair]

And where do i put this menu control? thats where the MDI had come into picture.

[mendhak]

A simple menu, just like any other.

It could be an XML file which you render onto the page, or a text file which you parse and display. The logic behind this menu should go into a web user control (ASCX file), where you do the level check and get the xml/text file (or whatever), and that web user control gets included into this main page.

[flair]

Does that mean that I have to include the menu into every page?
I think I am still influenced by VB6. But just for knowledge's sake, ain't it possible to have a menu page always in the backgrd n open the rest of the pages in its container in a web application?

[mendhak]

If you want to go the lazy way and have it 'in the background', then one way would be to make use of frames. One frame would contain your menu and the other would contain the content pages. The problems with this method are:

1) Cumbersome
2) Clumsy
3) I hate it
4) Everyone hates it

While GUI applications have MDIs, there is no equivalent metaphor for it in ASP.NET, which is why ASP.NET is different.

One common method used by ASP.NET developers is to create a base page which will have the basic layout of the page on it. It's here that your menu could be included. You can then derive from the base page for each new page and then include your content controls.

Makes sense?

[flair]

Thnx for bearing with my ignorant questions.
I'l go by ur advice of creating a base page.
cheers!

[mendhak]

When you face further problems with this, post back in the ASP.NET forum, you'll have a better chance of getting an answer there.