System.Web.UI.Design.DataBindingHandler provides a base class for data-binding handlers. A data-binding handler can be used within a designer to perform data-binding to enable a meaningful display of the control on the design surface. Typically a control's designer is responsible for this functionality. However, when a control is not live on the design surface, such as within the template of another control, it does not have a designer, and this functionality is provided by a data-binding handler if one has been specified with a System.Web.UI.DataBindingHandlerAttribute in the code for the control.

To use a data-binding handler, the control which has the data-bound property or properties must have a System.Web.UI.DataBindingHandlerAttribute specified within its code that indicates the type of data-binding handler to use.

For example, the System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label control is associated with the System.Web.UI.Design.TextDataBindingHandler class through a System.Web.UI.DataBindingHandlerAttribute in the code for the System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label class. Within a template for a System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataList, a System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label control whose text property has been data bound displays the word "DataBound" on the label. Without the data-binding handler, the label would be invisible at design-time, as it does not have a designer to bind its data-bound properties while in a templated control at design-time.

To implement a data-binding handler, define a new class that derives from this class and implement the DataBindingHandler.DataBindControl(System.ComponentModel.Design.IDesignerHost, System.Web.UI.Control) method to set the appropriate properties.

Namespace: System.Web.UI.Design
Assembly: System.Design (in System.Design.dll)
Assembly Versions: 1.0.5000.0, 2.0.0.0