Hi guys,

I'm wondering is it possible to use master pages with mobile web forms?  When I try to create new mobile web forms I'm not given the option to associate a master page with it in visual studio 2005.  Can I just add the prefix header to the top as a work around?

Thanks in advance. 

Hi,

I don't think it is possible to use master page since not given the option.

In addition, in mobile web form the <form> tag is <mobile:Form>, however in the Master Page file. the <form> tag is <form>. It doesn't support the mobile web form. so I'm afraid you could not use  masterpage.

You may read more regarding Mobile Web Development in the msdn article.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa286514.aspx

hope it helps.

It's too bad because I have a lot of template pages to create and masterpages would really cut down the time and effort.

Thanks for the link, I appreciate the response. 

Most current-generation mobile / handheld devices don't require Mobile Web Forms at all since they display CSS / XHTML pages quite well. This flexibility allows us to port over an existing web application to a handheld device, create a media dependent (handheld) Style Sheet, or go about creating our web application as we normally would (with Master Pages, Style Sheets, and Skins).

A great way to test your web application in a mobile browser is to download the Emulator Images for Windows Mobile 2003-based Pocket PC Development and test your application - you may also need to download the Microsoft Virtual PC to get the emulators to work.

 Unfortunately I've tested our website and the mark up is quite complicated and a bit obtuse.  There is too much javascript and too many crappy css hacks for our site to function in a mobile browser.  A future rewrite is in the works (can you say sharepoint?) but years away.

Thanks for the link. 

I feel your pain. Another alternative would be to create a special (leaner) Master Page and Theme (omitting the JavaScript, buggy CSS, etc..) for mobile browsers and toggle the Master Page and Theme by referring to the Request.Browser.IsMobileDevice property.

Just trying to offer some alternatives. :) SharePoint is certainly picking up some momentum these days.

I would do that, but management wants a separate dns name (mobile.ourcompany.com) and they specifically want it to go to a separate site, but I guess I can still make it a regular aspnet page.

I really like the idea of letting IIS decide how to render the output depending on the capabilities of the browser.  Thanks for your help Adam, I'll have to weigh the pros and cons.

It is also possible to load a Master Page or a Theme based solely on your sub domain name. For example: you could load a mobile theme based on mobile.ourcompany.com, a normal theme for www.ourcompany.com, or a red theme for red.ourcompany.com - again just a thought.

I agree; It is neat how ASP.NET automagically renders output based on browser capabilities, but it does have it's downsides (read more here). As mobile browsers (and browsers in general) continue to mature (and web standards are better adhered to) the need for creating distinctly different website for mobile devices will lessen.

You may be interested in reading more about ASP.NET's Adaptive Rendering.

Here's a couple great articles:

• A Look at ASP.NET's Adaptive Rendering
• Architectural Overview of Adaptive Control Behavior