In Web.config Is it possible to register all user controls in specified directory

Question

Currently I'm registering every user control separately in Web.config

<pages validateRequest="false">
  <controls>
    <add tagPrefix="cc1" src="~/Controls/MyUserControl1.ascx" tagName="MyUserControl1"/>
    ...    
    <add tagPrefix="cc1" src="~/Controls/MyUserControlN.ascx" tagName="MyUserControlN"/>
  </controls>
</pages>

But from time to time I forget to checkin web.config. Actually, I usually forget that it have changed skip it because it often breaks settings others set to connect to their local db DB copy.

I was wondering is it possible to just specify whole Controls directory and get all controls there registered automatically

Answer 1

Yes and no.

Basically, you can register all your usercontrols in the web.config. BUT you'll run into problems if you want to use any of your usercontrols within other usercontrols.

So, if you're never going to nest usercontrols, you're good to go. BUT if you want the flexibility to nest usercontrols you've got a few options:

1. Register them all in the web.config, and then, in the case of nesting, register the control you're nesting directly in the parent usercontrol.
2. As Bryan mentioned above, compile your usercontrols into an assembly, and reference them in the web.config.
3. This is the worst option, but basically you can get around the nesting problem when registering all your usercontrols in the web.config by placing your controls in sub folders...not a great option.
4. Another option is to strongly type your usercontrols, perhaps by creating base classes for your usercontrols.

Basically it's not a bug in the framework but a result of compiling everything into a single assembly. The app essentially can't distinguish between user controls.

There's some more info here and here. check out the comments on this one