De-Sludging ASP.NET Pages with PageAdapter, Page 2

July 9, 2007
By Paul Kimmel, Paul Kimmel

Listing 3 contains some simple sample code. Comment out the XML in bold for MyPageAdapter, run the code, and view source. You will see the fairly large VIEWSTATE. Uncomment the code—remove the  comment characters—and run the code again. View the source. You will see that the VIEWSTATE is almost all gone. (See Listing 3 for some demo code.)

Listing 3: Some sample code you can use to test you PageAdapter.

Imports System.Collections.Generic

Partial Class _Default
   Inherits System.Web.UI.Page

   Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, _
      ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load

      If (Not IsPostBack) Then Return

      Dim customers As List(Of Customer) = New List(Of Customer)

      Dim I As Integer

      For I = 1 To 100
         customers.Add(New Customer(I, "Customer" + I.ToString()))
      Next

      GridView1.DataSource = customers
      GridView1.DataBind()


   End Sub
End Class


Public Class Customer
   Private _iD As Integer
   Public Property ID() As Integer
      Get
         Return _iD
      End Get
      Set(ByVal Value As Integer)
         _iD = Value
      End Set
   End Property

   Private _name As String
   Public Property Name() As String
      Get
         Return _name
      End Get
      Set(ByVal Value As String)
         _name = Value
      End Set
   End Property

   ''' <summary>
   ''' Initializes a new instance of the Customer class.
   ''' </summary>
   ''' <param name="iD"></param>
   ''' <param name="name"></param>
   Public Sub New(ByVal iD As Integer, ByVal name As String)
      _iD = iD
      _name = name
   End Sub
End Class

Right-click on your browser and select View Source. Search for VIEWSTATE to see the radical change in the amount of VIEWSTATE information with and without the PageAdapter.

Summary

I am a firm believer in user groups, TechEd, reading, and other such activities. Because I write, it's a little harder for me to find new things for me, but I do find them. Jeff Prosise demonstrated an implementation a PageAdapter and .Browser for ASP.NET 2.0 at TechEd 2007 in Orlando. (Jeff is one smooth presenter; if you get a chance, see him.) I hope you got to go. If not, try to make it next year.

About the Author

Paul Kimmel is the VB Today columnist for www.codeguru.com and has written several books on object oriented programming and .NET. Check out his new book UML DeMystified from McGraw-Hill/Osborne. Paul is an architect for Tri-State Hospital Supply Corporation. You may contact him for technology questions at pkimmel@softconcepts.com.

If you are interested in joining or sponsoring a .NET Users Group, check out www.glugnet.org.