Question

In asp.net, how can I access the master page controls in a non-master page?

Answer 1

You can access the Masterpage as a property on your current page. However, the controls on your master page are protected so you can’t access them directly. But you can access them by using FindControl(string name). The code you need to use depends on if the control is inside or outside a content place holder.

// Gets a reference to a TextBox control inside a ContentPlaceHolder
ContentPlaceHolder mpContentPlaceHolder;
TextBox mpTextBox;
mpContentPlaceHolder = 
    (ContentPlaceHolder)Master.FindControl("ContentPlaceHolder1");
if(mpContentPlaceHolder != null)
{
    mpTextBox = (TextBox) mpContentPlaceHolder.FindControl("TextBox1");
    if(mpTextBox != null)
    {
        mpTextBox.Text = "TextBox found!";
    }
}

// Gets a reference to a Label control that is not in a 
// ContentPlaceHolder control
Label mpLabel = (Label) Master.FindControl("masterPageLabel");
if(mpLabel != null)
{
    Label1.Text = "Master page label = " + mpLabel.Text;
}