Load template from embedded resource

Question

How can I load an embedded resource as an ITemplate? The LoadTemplate() method only takes a string virtual path, and obviously this will not work for embedded resources.

Answer 1

Your control should look like it:

public class Con : Control
{
    public Template Content { get; set; }

    protected override void CreateChildControls()
    {
        base.CreateChildControls();

        Content = new Template();

        // load controls from file and add to this control
        Content.InstantiateIn(this);
    }

    public class Template : ITemplate
    {
        public void InstantiateIn(Control container)
        {
            // load controls
            container.Controls.Add((HttpContext.Current.Handler as Page).LoadControl("Emb.ascx"));
        }
    }
}

Then the embedded file:

<%@ Control Language="C#" %>

<asp:TextBox ID="Tb" runat="server" />

Then when using the control it will load the embedded resource, so using:

<%@ Register Assembly="TestWeb" Namespace="TestWeb" TagPrefix="c" %>
<c:Con runat="server" />

Will create a TextBox.

---

If you are trying to access a file inside a DLL, see this implementation of VirtualPathProvider.

Answer 2

Assuming that your templates are embedded and need to stay that way (which I think you may want to reconsider), here is a function I wrote a while back that I've used successfully many times when dealing with embedded files (mostly .sql files). It converts an embedded resource to a string. You may then need to write your template out to disk.

public static string GetEmbeddedResourceText(string resourceName, Assembly resourceAssembly)
{
   using (Stream stream = resourceAssembly.GetManifestResourceStream(resourceName))
   {
      int streamLength = (int)stream.Length;
      byte[] data = new byte[streamLength];
      stream.Read(data, 0, streamLength);

      // lets remove the UTF8 file header if there is one:
      if ((data[0] == 0xEF) && (data[1] == 0xBB) && (data[2] == 0xBF))
      {
         byte[] scrubbedData = new byte[data.Length - 3];
         Array.Copy(data, 3, scrubbedData, 0, scrubbedData.Length);
         data = scrubbedData;
      }

      return System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(data);
   }
}