Can I Define an Filteredtextboxextender FilterType(s) using the web.config file

Question

So I have a scenario where I need to change the filter type of an Filteredtextboxextender based on a value in the config file in my asp.net project.

This change propagates through about 80 input forms currently. Since my web.config value is a string I need to do an if statement on every page to define the filter type.

e.g.

If ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("SomeVariable") = "A" Then
     txtLTWo_Filteredtextboxextender.FilterType = AjaxControlToolkit.FilterTypes.LowercaseLetters Or AjaxControlToolkit.FilterTypes.UppercaseLetters Or AjaxControlToolkit.FilterTypes.Numbers
ElseIf ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("SomeVariable") = "B" Then
     txtLTWo_Filteredtextboxextender.FilterType = AjaxControlToolkit.FilterTypes.Numbers
Else
     txtLTWo_Filteredtextboxextender.FilterType = AjaxControlToolkit.FilterTypes.Custom
     txtLTWo_Filteredtextboxextender.ValidChars = "!QW"
End If

The problem here is that a change to a filter type for a particular result would have me changing every page.

I would really like a way to define it in the config file directly. Something like this, but obviously doesn't work.

txtML_Wo_Filteredtextboxextender.FilterType = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings("FilterType")

The only way to do it that I can come up with is to keep the filter as AjaxControlToolkit.FilterTypes.Custom

And then define the string of valid characters in the config file. However this would be a large string and seems senseless when the filter has the attributes I need.

Any ideas to streamline this would be great, thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hum some ideas to float here:

On page pre render (not 100% sure of the event), the you can/could inject that code.

Or you simple have a global function in a code module that fetches the config settings you have, and then use this:

this:

        <asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>
        <ajaxToolkit:FilteredTextBoxExtender ID="TextBox1_FilteredTextBoxExtender" 
            runat="server" BehaviorID="TextBox1_FilteredTextBoxExtender" 
            TargetControlID="TextBox1"
            FilterType="LowercaseLetters" >
        </ajaxToolkit:FilteredTextBoxExtender>

becomes:

        <asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>
        <ajaxToolkit:FilteredTextBoxExtender ID="TextBox1_FilteredTextBoxExtender" 
            runat="server" BehaviorID="TextBox1_FilteredTextBoxExtender" 
            TargetControlID="TextBox1"
            FilterType="<%= MyFilterType() %>" >
        </ajaxToolkit:FilteredTextBoxExtender>

Or say Module1.FilterType().

So, we could say have a global vb function, and then use a sever side expression in the markup settings.

I don't know what (if) those values like Filter Type "LowercaseLetters" are string or enum???

However, a server side expression in the markup could and should work.

Public Function MyFilterType() as string ???

   code here to fetch the setting from config

   return strSetting
End Function