ASP.NET Routing with Web Forms

A simple example of how to use routing in ASP.NET

1. Create Empty Web Application
2. Add first form - Default.aspx
3. Add second form - Second.aspx
4. Add third form - Third.aspx

5. Add to default.aspx 3 buttons -

   protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){    Response.Redirect("Second.aspx");}protected void Button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){    Response.Redirect("Third.aspx?Name=Pants");}protected void Button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){    Response.Redirect("Third.aspx?Name=Shoes");}

6. Read query string on third page

   protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e){    Response.Write(Request.QueryString["Name"]);}

Now if you run the program, you will be able to navigate to second and third form.This is how it used to be.Let's add routing.

7. Add new item - Global.aspx using System.Web.Routing;

   protected void Application_Start(object sender, EventArgs e){    RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);}void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes){    routes.MapPageRoute(        "HomeRoute",        "Home",        "~/Default.aspx"    );    routes.MapPageRoute(        "SecondRoute",        "Second",        "~/Second.aspx"    );    routes.MapPageRoute(        "ThirdRoute",        "Third/{Name}",        "~/Third.aspx"    );}

8. In default.aspx modify protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { // Response.Redirect("Second.aspx"); Response.Redirect(GetRouteUrl("SecondRoute", null)); }

   protected void Button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){    //Response.Redirect("Third.aspx?Name=Pants");   Response.Redirect(GetRouteUrl("ThirdRoute", new {Name = "Pants"}));}protected void Button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){   // Response.Redirect("Third.aspx?Name=Shoes");    Response.Redirect(GetRouteUrl("ThirdRoute", new { Name = "Shoes" }));}

9. Modify page load in third.aspx

   protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e){    //Response.Write(Request.QueryString["Name"]);    Response.Write(RouteData.Values["Name"]);}

Run the program, Please note that url looks much cleaner - there are not file extensions in it (Second.aspx becomes just Second)

10. To pass more then one argument

    • add new button to default.aspx with the following code:

      protected void Button4_Click(object sender, EventArgs e){    Response.Redirect(GetRouteUrl("FourthRoute", new { Name = "Shoes" , Gender = "Male"}));}

    • add the following code to global.asax

          routes.MapPageRoute(      "FourthRoute",      "Fourth/{Name}-{Gender}",      "~/Fourth.aspx"  );

    • create Fourth.aspx page with the following page load:

      protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e){Response.Write("Name is: " + RouteData.Values["Name"] + " and Gender is " + RouteData.Values["Gender"]);}

Not sure if this is your answer but this may get you in the right direction it's Scott Hanselman (MSFT) showing how to get ASP.NET WebForms, ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET Dynamic Data -- oh and AJAX to work together in harmony.

http://www.hanselman.com/blog/PlugInHybridsASPNETWebFormsAndASPMVCAndASPNETDynamicDataSideBySide.aspx

Two very useful links for .net 4.0 and ASP.net routing

• Walkthrough: Using ASP.NET Routing in a Web Forms Application

• ASP.net Routing