Setting the MasterPage during feature activation sometimes works but not always?

Eric Bartels — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:53:08 +0000

One of my current projects had the requirement to modify certain properties of the SharePoint “Look and feel”.

To make updates and improvements easy I created a custom masterpage which is provisioned via a Feature. A custom feature receiver takes care of setting the masterpage and a feature staple takes care of newly created webs.

Strange things

This works well … Well mostly. In some existing webs my custom masterpage is simply not attached.

Solution

If you set the SPWeb.MasterUrl do not forget to set the SPWeb.CustomMasterUrl, too!

// web = SPWeb
web.MasterUrl = "myPath/to/my.master";
web.CustomMasterUrl = "myPath/to/my.master";

Now my masterpage is attached and used as desired.

[Reminder] How-to add a custom usercontrol with the SharePoint Designer

Eric Bartels — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 11:44:07 +0000

Open the desired page (e.g. DispForm.aspx) with the SharePoint Designer and add the following code below the initial “<%@ statements”:

<%@ Register TagPrefix="MyNamePrefix" TagName="MyNameForTheControl"
Src="~/_controltemplates/MyCustomControls/MyCurrentlyUsedControl.ascx" %>

Now add this code where the control should appear in the final rendered page:

<MyNamePrefix:MyNameForTheControl ID="MyNameForTheControl" runat="server" />

Thats it!

Of course your user control must be placed in the TEMPLATE/CONTROLTEMPLATES folder (TEMPLATE/CONTROLTEMPLATES/MyCustomControls in this case) of your frontend server.

entwicklungsgedanken » custom

Setting the MasterPage during feature activation sometimes works but not always?

Strange things

Solution

[Reminder] How-to add a custom usercontrol with the SharePoint Designer