I have an aspx page that I am trying to bind to a method in a BL class I have--but the binding can't recognize the class--even when I include it in the code-behind page. I basically had to create a method in the code behind page that called the class. Here is the code that works:

<%@ Page Language="VB" MasterPageFile="~/MasterPage.master" AutoEventWireup="false" CodeFile="awards.aspx.vb" Inherits="awards" title="Untitled Page" %>
<asp:Content ID="Content1" ContentPlaceHolderID="ContentPlaceHolder2" Runat="Server">
    <div style="position:relative; min-height:500px;" >
        <div style="position:absolute; top:0; bottom:0; left:0; margin-left:5px; margin-top:5px;">
            <asp:Image ID="Image1" runat="server" ImageUrl="Site_Images/YosemiteFalls.jpg" Width="400px"/>
        </div>
        <div style="margin: 5px 5px 5px 440px; min-height:720px; padding-top:4px">
            <asp:GridView ID="GridView2" runat="server" AutoGenerateColumns="False" DataSourceID="GetLocationsDataSource" AllowPaging="True" GridLines="None" HorizontalAlign="NotSet" EditRowStyle-VerticalAlign="NotSet" ShowHeader="false" PageSize="10" DataKeyNames="awardID">
            <Columns>
                <asp:TemplateField>
                    <ItemTemplate>
                        <asp:Label ID="LocationLabel1" runat="server" Text='<%# Eval("Location") %>' Font-Bold="true"></asp:Label>
                        <asp:GridView ID="GridView1" AutoGenerateColumns="False" runat="server" DataSource='<%# BehindGetPlaceListPerAward(CType(Eval("AwardID"), Integer)) %>' GridLines="None" ShowHeader="false">
                    <Columns>
                        <asp:BoundField DataField="year" DataFormatString="{0}:" />
                    </Columns>
                    <Columns>
                        <asp:BoundField DataField="title" />
                    </Columns>
                </asp:GridView>
                    </ItemTemplate>
                </asp:TemplateField>
            </Columns>
            <RowStyle VerticalAlign="Top" />
        </asp:GridView>
        </div>
    </div>

<asp:ObjectDataSource ID="GetLocationsDataSource" runat="server" OldValuesParameterFormatString="original_{0}" SelectMethod="GetList" TypeName="Searing.SunArtSite.Bll.AwardsManager"></asp:ObjectDataSource>
</asp:Content>


Here's the code behind page:

Imports Searing.SunArtSite.BO
Imports Searing.SunArtSite.Bll

Partial Class awards
    Inherits System.Web.UI.Page



    Protected Function BehindGetPlaceListPerAward(ByVal id As Integer) As PlaceList
        Return PlaceManager.GetPlaceListPerAward(id)
    End Function

End Class


Why couldn't I just call PlaceManager.GetPlaceListPerAward(id) directly from the aspx page rather than calling BehindGetPlaceListPerAward(id) to only have it do it.

Basically..why does the code-behind page see the method in the class PlaceManager (Namespace rsearing.sunartsite.BLL) but the "front-side" aspx page can't see it?

Thanks,
Rob

Rob, I think this has to do with the imports. Yes, you have imported the BLL in your codebehind, but the page only inherits from that code-behind class. In order to "see" your BLL classes from inline code in the markup, you need to import the appropriate namespace in the markup page.

HOWEVER, this being said... I would stick with the way you have it. Why? Because you would be coupling "unchecked" code to an external resource. You would have a direct reference from non pre-compiled code in the markup to a class library outside of the web app itself.

If you make the markup code call a method directly on the page, and have the page class method call the BLL, you ensure that if you change the BLL class you'll get a compile time break which you can fix right away instead of a break later on in run-time. This is generally a better practice.

-Peter