R – I just installed WSS 3.0 — now what

WSS pages use Master Pages just like regular web apps. However, the value if the MasterPageFile attribute is a token, and is set to "~default.master". This token gets replaced with the actual reference to the master page in the page's PreInit method.

You can change the value of ~default.master to anything you like. But a better solution is to do the same type of thing that SharePoint does.

I added an HttpHandler to my SharePoint site. The handler attaches to the PreRequestHandlerExecute method, and changes the value of the master page file attribute before SharePoint starts rendering the page.

Add a line to the httpModules section of the web.config that looks like this:

Then create a class like this:

namespace MyClassLibrary.Utility { public class MasterPageHttpModule : IHttpModule { public void Init(HttpApplication context) { context.PreRequestHandlerExecute += new EventHandler(context_PreRequestHandlerExecute); }

    void context_PreRequestHandlerExecute(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        bool useCustomMasterPages = Convert.ToBoolean(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["ShowCustomMasterPages"].ToString());
        if (useCustomMasterPages)
        {
            Page page = HttpContext.Current.CurrentHandler as Page;
            if (page != null)
            {
                page.PreInit += new EventHandler(page_PreInit);
            }
        }
    }

    void page_PreInit(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        bool useThreeColumnMaster = Convert.ToBoolean(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["UseThreeColumnMasterOnDefaultPage"].ToString());

        try
        {
            Page page = sender as Page;
            if (page != null && SPContext.Current != null)
            {
                string url = page.Request.Url.AbsolutePath.ToLower();
                if (url.IndexOf("/public/") > -1)
                {
                    if (url.IndexOf("sitemap.aspx") == -1)
                    {
                        page.MasterPageFile = "~/_catalogs/masterpage/edge_con.master";
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        page.MasterPageFile = "";
                    }
                }
                else if (url.IndexOf("default.aspx") > -1)
                {
                    if (useThreeColumnMaster)
                    {
                        page.MasterPageFile = "~/_catalogs/masterpage/edge_con.master";
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        page.MasterPageFile = "~/_catalogs/masterpage/edge.master";
                    }
                }
                else if (url.IndexOf("sitemap.aspx") > -1)
                {
                    //
                    //  Sitemap pages should not have a master page
                    //
                    page.MasterPageFile = "";
                    page.Controls.Clear();
                }
                else if (url.IndexOf("/admin/") > -1)
                {
                    page.MasterPageFile = "~/_catalogs/masterpage/edge.master";
                }
                else if (url.IndexOf("/member/") > -1)
                {
                    page.MasterPageFile = "~/_catalogs/masterpage/edge.master";
                }
                else if (url.IndexOf("/supplier/") > -1)
                {
                    page.MasterPageFile = "~/_catalogs/masterpage/edge.master";
                }
                else if (page.MasterPageFile == "~masterurl/default.master")
                {
                    page.MasterPageFile = "~/_catalogs/masterpage/edge.master";
                }
            }
        }
        catch (Exception exception)
        {
            LogWriter logWriter = new LogWriter();
            logWriter.WriteToLog("Could  not set master page: " + exception.Message, LogType.MasterPage, DateTime.Now);
        }
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
    }
}

}

Now you are dynamically choosing a mater page.

Although I don't recommend it, it is possible to copy the SharePoint DLLs to your local XP/Vista machine and develop and compile in Visual Studio, then deploy to a Windows Server, after which you could remote debug. Really though you are better off just doing everything on Windows Server. You can run Virtual PC on XP or Vista and install a Windows 2003 stack then do all of your development that way. I have a 5 year old XP box at home that I run Windows Server 2003 on Virtual PC and it works out just fine for SharePoint development including debugging. One thing I had to do though was install a second hard drive and dedicate that to the virtual machine image. Prior to that it was unbearably slow. The second hard drive cost just $27 (30 GB), but obviously you can spend more if you want.