Compile web application project ascx into dll

Question

Is it possible to compile a web application project .ascx (user control) into a dll?

I want to do the following:

1. Use the same control in multiple websites
2. Embed css and .js as resources into the control
3. Be able to update super easy. If the user control updates, I just want to update 1 .dll

I have successfully followed this article, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa479318.aspx.

However, that uses web site projects, and I cannot embed js css as resources into web site projects.

Any ideas? Am I going about this wrong, should I change the approach?

Answer 1

It is difcult to use user controls in this way due to the markup ascx file. If you want to create reusable control libraries your are much better off creating custom controls.

Answer 2

I had to do it once and I followed this article

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/user-controls/EmbeddedUserControl.aspx

It's based on the possibility of mounting a virtual file system on different places (an assembly, database, etc)

Answer 3

There are quite a few articles out there on how to do exactly that:

http://www.nathanblevins.com/Articles/Compile-a-Web-User-Control-into-a-DLL-.Net-c-.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/davidebb/archive/2005/10/30/487160.aspx