How to use the site's masterpage from a _layout SharePoint page ?

Question

Hi,

I want to use a masterpagefile (the site's one if this makes sense) in my SharePoint 12 hive/template/layouts/TelephoneBookList/test.aspx file. However, whenever I add MasterPageFile="~/_layouts/simple.master" or something like that to my test.aspx page, I get a sharepoint error page and the following in the log file:

01/12/2009 10:56:26.95 w3wp.exe (0x1064) 0x1280 Windows SharePoint Services Topology 0 Critical Invalid URL: http://localhost. You may also need to update any alternate access mappings referring to http://mcdevsp. Help on this error: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=114854

01/12/2009 10:56:27.09 w3wp.exe (0x1064) 0x1280 Windows SharePoint Services General 8dzz High Exception Type: System.Web.HttpException Exception Message: The file '/_layouts/TelephonebookList/~masterurl/default.master' does not exist.

01/12/2009 10:56:27.23 w3wp.exe (0x1064) 0x1280 Windows SharePoint Services Topology 0 Critical Invalid URL: http://localhost. You may also need to update any alternate access mappings referring to http://mcdevsp. Help on this error: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=114854

01/12/2009 10:56:27.70 w3wp.exe (0x1064) 0x1280 Windows SharePoint Services General 8dzw Medium spHttpHandler:GetHash started

01/12/2009 10:56:27.70 w3wp.exe (0x1064) 0x1280 Windows SharePoint Services General 8dzx Medium spHttpHandler:GetHash finished

Without the MasterPageFile attributes, it works perfectly, however it does not have the global Look & Feel of the web site.

Many thanks.

Answer 1

Try this:

Leave the MasterPageFile declaration at it's default (~/_layouts/simple.master) and override OnPreInit in your custom code.

protected override void OnPreInit(EventArgs e)
{
    base.OnPreInit(e);

    this.MasterPageFile = SPContext.Current.Web.MasterUrl;
}

Answer 2

SharePoint requires _layouts pages to be declared with ~/_layouts/application.master. The OnPreInit technique can then be used to change the master at runtime.

An HttpModule can be used to change the master on all application pages: How to customise the SharePoint application.master file

Answer 3

I am getting access denied issue for non admin user but for administrator the OnPreInit method is working does any faced the same issue, please post ur answer

thanks in advance Sandeep

Answer 4

IT IS WORKING !!!!!

I Love It