Add ScriptManager to Page Programmatically?

Question

I am developing a WebPart (it will be used in a SharePoint environment, although it does not use the Object Model) that I want to expose AJAX functionality in. Because of the nature of the environment, Adding the Script Manager directly to the page is not an option, and so must be added programmatically. I have attempted to add the ScriptManager control to the page in my webpart code.

protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
    if (ScriptManager.GetCurrent(Page) == null)
    {
        ScriptManager sMgr = new ScriptManager();
        // Ensure the ScriptManager is the first control.
        Page.Form.Controls.AddAt(0, sMgr); 
    }
}

However, when this code is executed, I get the following error message:

"The control collection cannot be modified during DataBind, Init, Load, PreRender or Unload phases."

Is there another way to add the ScriptManager to the page from a WebPart, or am I going to have to just add the ScriptManager to each page (or master page) that will use the WebPart?

Wolves

Answer 1

I was able to get this to work by using the Page's Init event:

protected override void OnInit(EventArgs e)
{
    Page.Init += delegate(object sender, EventArgs e_Init)
                 {
                     if (ScriptManager.GetCurrent(Page) == null)
                     {
                         ScriptManager sMgr = new ScriptManager();
                         Page.Form.Controls.AddAt(0, sMgr);
                     }
                 };
    base.OnInit(e);
}

Wolves

No, If you notice, I am checking to ensure that there is no ScriptManager on the page before adding one. – Wolves

Is this OnInit a method of the control? – Kaph

Yes. I'm using it in a WebPart, but thats just a control. – Wolves

Doesn't work with update panels... Correct way to set the script manager via Page.Items[typeof(ScriptManager)] = newScriptManager. – Spectrogram

@ControlFlow: My implementation works fine for me with an UpdatePanel. – Wolves

I have this method in one of my usercontrols, but it still complains, saying: 'The control with ID 'upd' requires a ScriptManager on the page. The ScriptManager must appear before any controls that need it.' – Epinephrine

This worked for me once I removed the delegate and replaced it with the code that is contained within the delegate – Durkin

@ControlFlow, I just tried your solution and got the error: The control with ID 'UpdatePanel1' requires a ScriptManager on the page. The ScriptManager must appear before any controls that need it.at System.Web.UI.UpdatePanel.get_ScriptManager () <0x403e51e0 + 0x0015f> in <filename unknown>:0 at System.Web.UI.UpdatePanel.RegisterPanel () <0x403e50e0 + 0x000a7> in <filename unknown>:0 at System.Web.UI.UpdatePanel.OnInit (System.EventArgs e) <0x403e5080 + 0x0001f> in <filename unknown>:0 at System.Web.UI.Control.InitRecursive (System.Web.UI.Control namingContainer) <0x403e4850 + 0x0013c> – Pyrites

If you need this to work in a user control (*.ascx), use Jon's answer instead. – Parol

Answer 2

I had the same basic issue the rest of you had. I was creating a custom ascx control and wanted to be able to not worry about whether or not the calling page had the scriptmanager declared. I got around the issues by adding the following to the ascx contorl itself.

to the ascx page -

<asp:PlaceHolder runat="server" ID="phScriptManager"></asp:PlaceHolder>

in the update panel itself - oninit="updatePanel1_Init"

to the ascx.cs file -

protected void updatePanel1_Init(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
     if (ScriptManager.GetCurrent(this.Page) == null)
     {
         ScriptManager sManager = new ScriptManager();
         sManager.ID = "sManager_" + DateTime.Now.Ticks;
         phScriptManager.Controls.AddAt(0, sManager);
     }
}

Thank you to everyone else in this thread who got me started.

Gupta

Any reason in particular why the DateTime.Now.Ticks gets appended to the ScriptManager's ID? – Unmerciful

I just used this solution in a user control, and it is the only one I found that works! Thank you! I did have to change sManager.ID = "sManager_" + DateTime.Now.Ticks; to sManager.ID = "ScriptManager1"; to avoid odd behaviour in my UpdatePanel. – Parol

Answer 3

I've done this and it works. Create a placeholder for the controls:

<asp:PlaceHolder ID="WebGridPlaceholder" runat="server" >
</asp:PlaceHolder>

Then you can do this in CreateChildControls:

ScriptManager aSM = new ScriptManager();
aSM.ID = "GridScriptManager";
WebGridPlaceholder.Controls.Add(aSM);

Mcniel

Answer 4

I ran into this problem with a custom ascx server control. I tried many solutions involving adding script to the OnInit events of the control (which doesn't get executed until after it checks for the ScriptManager control), adding logic inside of server tags on the control, and adding things to about every other event. No good. I finally built a control that inherits from ScriptManagerProxy and then uses ktrauberman's piece of code, slightly modified, to add a ScriptManager if needed:

  public class ProxiedScriptManager : ScriptManagerProxy
  {
    protected override void OnInit(EventArgs e)
    {
      //double check for script-manager, if one doesn't exist, 
      //then create one and add it to the page
      if (ScriptManager.GetCurrent(this.Page) == null)
      {
        ScriptManager sManager = new ScriptManager();
        sManager.ID = "sManager_" + DateTime.Now.Ticks;
        Controls.AddAt(0, sManager);
      }

      base.OnInit(e);
    }
  }

That did it for me.

Eventful

Answer 5

This is the only way I could get my update panel to work in a sharepoint 2007 / 2010 compatible webpart. We use a 2010 master page with an scriptmanager but a 2007 master page without one.

.ascx

<asp:PlaceHolder ID="sMgr_place" runat="server" />
<asp:UpdatePanel runat="server" OnInit="updatePanel_Init"><ContentTemplate>
...
</ContentTemplate></asp:UpdatePanel>

.ascx.cs

public void updatePanel_Init(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if (ScriptManager.GetCurrent(Page) == null)
    {
        ScriptManager sMgr = new ScriptManager();
        sMgr.EnablePartialRendering = true;
        sMgr_place.Controls.Add(sMgr);
    }
}

Coadjutrix

Answer 6

I used this code in custom web controls (.cs) that contain update panels.

protected override void OnInit(EventArgs e)
{
    //...
    if (ScriptManager.GetCurrent(this.Page) == null)
    {
        ScriptManager scriptManager = new ScriptManager();
        scriptManager.ID = "scriptManager_" + DateTime.Now.Ticks;
        Controls.AddAt(0, scriptManager);
    }
    //...
}

Briolette

Answer 7

I had this similar problem and found the best way was to add a global ScriptManager to the masterpage then in the code behind you can add to it by:

ScriptManager.GetCurrent(Page).Services.Add(new ServiceReference(virtualPath));

Cohberg