Allow users to embed custom tags in CMS system and have them parsed -- how?

[Guest]

I'm interested in allowing users of a CMS system to be able to embed custom
tags/calls to user controls in the content areas of their articles. This
would allow folks to call advanced bits of functionality and feed the
controls parameters using the CMS.

In classic ASP, you could parse out the tags and have them interpreted at
runtime if you were clever about it.

What's the general approach to making this "go" in ASP.NET? Surely this
capability was anticipated....

Thanks,
-KF

 

[darrel]

What's the general approach to making this "go" in ASP.NET? Surely this

capability was anticipated....

I am *no* expert on .net by any means, but I've been working on something
similiar, though perhaps not quite as robust as yours. What I've done is
this:

page.aspx
- contentControl.ascx
- customControl.ascx

contentControl loads the text for that page (if applicable). The
customControl will load another control specified by the editor from the
CMS. For instance, they may want to have the contact directory loaded on
that page.

So, they are distinct, which is different than what you are asking, but
maybe that's an option.

Just a thought...perhaps have the CMS text editor insert an empty SPAN tag
in the content. Parse the content for the specific span tag (ie <span
id="contactDirectory.aspx></span>) and, if it exists, then have the page
load that control, and then use innerhtml to send the output of the control
to that specific place on the page.

-Darrel