Comments on: Generating HTML emails using ASP.NET

By: Hotelier

Hotelier — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:56:38 +0000

Generating HTML emails using ASP.NET « Tatham Oddie inspires me, i just want to say thanks for the inspiration, Hotelier

By: Hier

Hier — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:47:33 +0000

Thanks for taking this opportunity to talk about “Generating HTML emails using ASP.NET « Tatham Oddie”, I benefit from learning about this topic. If possible, as you gain data, please update this blog with new information. Thanks, Hier

By: ben

ben — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:28:59 +0000

Hi, I want to say I have been using this pattern for years and it is very successful. I use ASPX, not ascx, and then I use httpwebquest to crawl the contents of that ASPX page..

Advantages
1. We can use repeater or datagrid in that ASPX or ASCX
2. HTML CSS is very strict, we can change design
3. We can have a master page for email header and footer, because header and footer are replicated contents in most emails
4 We can truly seperate the presentation layer

By: David

David — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:50:55 +0000

Ah, just re-read Steve’s comment, so the RenderControl method goes in a public class, completely separate from the .ascx file, still working on the rest though.

By: David

David — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:49:05 +0000

Thx I really appreciate your example, I’m having some difficulties though.

Maybe I’m not as clever as the average bear, but:

1) Where should the .ascx file be located?
2) The “RenderControl(Control control)” method, where is this suppose to go? Obviously not in the .ascx.cs file..
3) Instantiating or initializing the control, you have “EmailTemplates.MembershipApplication”. Is this your own class or is this a built in .net class?

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:11:04 +0000

Finally managed to get everything working. Thanks for the pointers in the first place. I’m now generating very nice emails.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:51:04 +0000

OK putting the rendercontrol in a public class file has solved point1. So now I’m stuck on instantiating the control and setting all the literals in the template.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:33:20 +0000

Hi Tatham,

I’ve been looking for a better way to render HTML emails than manual stringbuilder work. As you say, its ugly and unmanageable if the HTMl is significant.

I’ve tried implementing this code but I’m having trouble. First I can’t seem to place the rendercontrol function within a code behind file. It complains it shadows an overridable methiod in the base class ‘Control’. Second I’m using VB! Yeah I know, I used to be a C+ developer but had to switch with my work, so been using it no for long time and its fairly productive.

Anyway, that aside, I’d really appreciate it if you could provide a complete example of the coding and maybe a sample usercontrol its applied to. I’ll then be able to convert to my native coding language.

Any help much appreciated.
Steve