How to Convert an ASP.NET Control to String

Problem
Need to generate an HTML string from an ASP.NET web control created in code-behind without rendering it on the web page.

Solution
Use the control's RenderControl() method with a StringWriter to generate the HTML.

  
// Code sample of a utility method to convert a control to an HTML string  
public static string RenderControlToString(Control control)
{
       string renderedControl = null;
       if (control != null)
       {
              using (StringWriter tempStringWriter = new StringWriter())
              {
                     using (HtmlTextWriter tempHtmlTextWriter = new HtmlTextWriter(tempStringWriter))
                     {
                           control.RenderControl(tempHtmlTextWriter);
                           renderedControl = tempStringWriter.ToString();
                           tempHtmlTextWriter.Close();
                     }
                     tempStringWriter.Close();
              }
       }
       return renderedControl;
}
 
// Test Utility Method
private void TestRenderControlToString()
{
       HyperLink testHyperLink = new HyperLink();
       testHyperLink.NavigateUrl = "/MyWebFolder/Default.aspx";
       testHyperLink.Text = "Hyper Link Value";
       testHyperLink.Target = "_blank";
       string renderedControl = Utility.RenderControlToString(testHyperLink);
       Response.Write(Server.HtmlEncode(renderedControl));
       Response.Write(renderedControl);
}

References
"Control.RenderControl Method (System.Web.UI)." MSDN: Microsoft Development, MSDN Subscriptions, Resources, and More. 27 Mar. 2009
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.ui.control.rendercontrol(VS.80).aspx.

"StringWriter Class (System.IO)." MSDN: Microsoft Development, MSDN Subscriptions, Resources, and More. 27 Mar. 2009
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.stringwriter(VS.80).aspx.

SQL CASE Examples

-- --------------------------------------------------

-- Simple CASE function:

-- --------------------------------------------------

CASE input_expression

      WHEN when_expression THEN result_expression

      ELSE else_result_expression

END

-- --------------------------------------------------

-- Searched CASE function:

-- --------------------------------------------------

CASE

      WHEN Boolean_expression THEN result_expression

      ELSE else_result_expression

END

-- CASE with multiple values tested

CASE

      WHEN t1.Column1 IN(103,109,83) THEN 'PassedTest'

      ELSE NULL

END

-- --------------------------------------------------

-- SELECT calculation

-- --------------------------------------------------

SELECT

(2 *

      CASE @RequestedSchedule

            WHEN 'M' THEN @intMonthly

            WHEN 'Q' THEN @intQuarterly

            ELSE 'Unexpected Value in RequestedSchedule: ' + @RequestedSchedule

      END

)

-- --------------------------------------------------

-- SELECT CASE EXISTS

-- --------------------------------------------------

SELECT

      a.Column01

      ,a.Column02

      ,CASE WHEN EXISTS (SELECT z.Column05 FROM TableZ AS z WHERE zColumn06 = a.Column01)

            THEN 'Exists'

            ELSE 'Not Exists'

      END

FROM

      TableA AS a

-- --------------------------------------------------

-- Set selection mode based upon passed parameters

-- --------------------------------------------------

DECLARE

      @currentSelectionMode int

      ,@selectionModeByAAA int

      ,@selectionModeByBBB int

SELECT

      @selectionModeByAAA = 1

      ,@selectionModeByBBB = 2

SELECT @currentSelectionMode =

      CASE

            WHEN @passedValue01 IS NOT NULL THEN @selectionModeByAAA

            WHEN @passedValue02 IS NOT NULL THEN @selectionModeByBBB

            ELSE 0

      END

IF (@currentSelectionMode = 0)

BEGIN

      RAISERROR('No valid selection criteria was passed.', 11, 1)

      -- Ths first number, severity, is the user-defined severity level associated with this message.

      -- Severity levels from 0 through 18 can be specified by any user.

      -- NOTE: Must be >= 11 in order to throw an error in C#

      RETURN -1

END

WRT54G Connection To Motorola Modem

Problem
Unable to connect through to internet from Linksys WRT54G router to Motorola 2110-02-1002 DSL modem.

Solution
Had to change IP address of router from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.2.1 even though modem IP address is 192.168.1.254

Was able to keep PPPoE on modem and did not have to enable PPPoE on the router.

References
"Setting-Up a Router with DSL Internet Service" Linksys Easy Answers (Page 1 of 121). 19 Mar. 2009
http://linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/linksys.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3687&lid=3973237401B07.