May 13, 2021 ASP.NET
The ad rotation controller randomly selects the banner image specified in the external XML time file from a list. This external XML time file is called an ad file.
Ad rotation controls allow you to specify the type of ad file and window, and links should follow the properties of AdvertisementFile and Target, respectively.
The basic syntax for adding AdRotator is as follows:
<asp:AdRotator runat = "server" AdvertisementFile = "adfile.xml" Target = "_blank" />Before we understand the AdRotator control and its properties, let's look at the composition of the ad file.
An ad file is an XML file that includes the information that the ad wants to be displayed.
Extensable markup language (XML) is a standard text document markup language for W3C. I t is a text-based markup language that allows you to store data in a structured format by using meaningful labels. The term 'extensible' means that you can extend the functionality to describe documents by defining meaningful labels for your application.
XML itself is not a language, such as HTML, but a set of rules for creating a new markup language. I t is a meta-tag language. I t allows developers to create custom tag sets for special purposes. It builds, stores, and transmits information.
Here's an example of an XML file:
<BOOK>
<NAME> Learn XML </NAME>
<AUTHOR> Samuel Peterson </AUTHOR>
<PUBLISHER> NSS Publications </PUBLISHER>
<PRICE> $30.00</PRICE>
</BOOK>Like all XML files, the ad file needs to be a well-defined and labeled structured text file to depict the data. There are also some standard XML elements commonly used in advertising files:
| Elements | Describe |
|---|---|
| Advertisements | Surround the ad file. |
| Ad | Define independent advertising. |
| ImageUrl | The path to the image to be displayed. |
| NavigateUrl | The link that appears when the user clicks on the ad. |
| AlternateText | If the image cannot be displayed, text is displayed. |
| Keyword | Keywords are used to identify a set of ads for filtering. |
| Impressions | This number shows how often the ad appears. |
| Height | Displays the height of the image. |
| Width | Displays the width of the image. |
In addition to these labels, customary labels with general attributes can also be included. The following code demonstrates an ad file, ads .xml:
<Advertisements>
<Ad>
<ImageUrl>rose1.jpg</ImageUrl>
<NavigateUrl>http://www.1800flowers.com</NavigateUrl>
<AlternateText>
Order flowers, roses, gifts and more
</AlternateText>
<Impressions>20</Impressions>
<Keyword>flowers</Keyword>
</Ad>
<Ad>
<ImageUrl>rose2.jpg</ImageUrl>
<NavigateUrl>http://www.babybouquets.com.au</NavigateUrl>
<AlternateText>Order roses and flowers</AlternateText>
<Impressions>20</Impressions>
<Keyword>gifts</Keyword>
</Ad>
<Ad>
<ImageUrl>rose3.jpg</ImageUrl>
<NavigateUrl>http://www.flowers2moscow.com</NavigateUrl>
<AlternateText>Send flowers to Russia</AlternateText>
<Impressions>20</Impressions>
<Keyword>russia</Keyword>
</Ad>
<Ad>
<ImageUrl>rose4.jpg</ImageUrl>
<NavigateUrl>http://www.edibleblooms.com</NavigateUrl>
<AlternateText>Edible Blooms</AlternateText>
<Impressions>20</Impressions>
<Keyword>gifts</Keyword>
</Ad>
</Advertisements>The AdRotator class is derived from the WebControl class and inherits its properties. In addition to these properties, the AdRotator class has the following properties:
| Property | Describe |
|---|---|
| AdvertisementFile | The path to the ad file. |
| AlternateTextFeild | Provides the element name of the field that replaces the text. The default is Alternate Text. |
| DataMember | The name of a specific list of data to bind when an ad file is not used. |
| DataSource | Controls the retrieval of data. |
| DataSourceID | The control ID that retrieves the data. |
| Font | Specify the font properties associated with the ad banner control. |
| ImageUrlField | The name of the domain that provides the URL image. The default is ImageUrl. |
| KeywordFilter | Show only keyword-based ads. |
| NavigateUrlField | Provides the element name of the domain to navigate to the URL. The default is NavigateUrl. |
| Target | A browser window or frame that displays the contents of a linked web page. |
| UniqueID | Gets a unique, hierarchically qualified identifier for the AdRotator control. |
Here are the very important events of the AdRotator class:
| Event | Describe |
|---|---|
| AdCreated | Each round trip to the server creates a control, but is triggered before the page is rendered. |
| DataBinding | Triggered when the server control is bound to the data source. |
| DataBound | Occurs after the server control is bound to the data source. |
| Disposed | Triggered when a server control is freed from memory and a page is requested at the last stage ASP.NET the server control lifecycle. |
| Init | When server control is triggered when it is initialized, the first step in its life cycle appears. |
| Load | Triggered when the server control is loaded into the Page object. |
| PreRender | After the Control object is loaded, but before that the rendering is triggered. |
| Unload | Triggered when the server control is unloaded from memory. |
Create a new Web page and place an AdRotator control on it.
<form id="form1" runat="server">
<div>
<asp:AdRotator ID="AdRotator1" runat="server" AdvertisementFile ="~/ads.xml" onadcreated="AdRotator1_AdCreated" />
</div>
</form>The ads .xml image files should be located at the root of the site.
Try the above application and observe that the ad changes each time the page is overloaded.