ASP.NET Menu Control

APNSoft Menu supports three types of user-defined templates for additional item customization. Templates are easy to use powerful tools, which allow changing item's appearance flexibly on developer's demand.

HTML template
HTML Template is a regular text file with HTML elements: tables, images, controls, etc.

XSL template
XSL Template is more flexible than HTML template, because it includes XSL elements. XSL Template allows comparing/modifying data without a loss in performance. For example, under conditional formatting you must first analyze item's data and then apply the formatting.

XSL Template must include two key elements: the <xsl:call-template name="Main" /> and the <xsl:template name="Main">. Sample code of XSL Template:
```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
    <xsl:output method="xml" version="1.0" indent="no" omit-xml-declaration="yes" />

    <xsl:template match="/">
        <xsl:call-template name="Main" />
    </xsl:template>

    <xsl:template name="Main">
        ...
    </xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>
```

ASCX template (User Control)
ASCX Template is most flexible because it allows developer to format an item by using the preferred programming language (C# or VB.NET). ASCX Template can include the field MenuElement which must be declared as public. You can use this field to have access to the item in Template's code.

[C#]
```
public APNSoft.WebControls.MenuElement MenuElement = null;
            
```
[VB.NET]
```
Public MenuElement As APNSoft.WebControls.MenuElement = Nothing
            
```

Templates can include variables, instead of which data is inserted. Available variables:

$ComponentID$ - displays the unique identifier of the component.
$ItemID$ - displays the unique identifier of the item.
$Title$ - displays the text (caption) of the item.

Menu automatically identifies the type of applicable template. To apply template to the item, use the Template attribute:

<item title="HTML" Template="~/Templates/Template.html" />
<item title="XSL" Template="~/Templates/Template.xsl" />
<item title="ASCX" Template="~/Templates/Template.ascx" />