I'm using a repeater to create an HTML table with values that come from a database. This part is working perfectly:
TEST.ASPX : <td><%# FancyFormat(Eval("MyColumnName"))%></td>
The function I use is defined in my code-behind:
TEST.ASPX.VB : Function FancyFormat(ByVal Whatever As String) As String
It is just a date formatting function, a very generic bit of code.
So then I decide to create a better function in a Class file, within the same project, because I want to use the function on twenty other web pages:
HELPFUL.VB : Public Shared Function BeautifulFormat(ByVal Whatever As String) As String
Blissfully ignorant I type the following:
TEST.ASPX : <td><%# Helpful.BeautifulFormat(Eval("MyColumnName"))%></td>
Sadly I get the error "Helpful is not declared. It may be inaccessible due to its protection level".
I have read the similar question asp.net In a repeater is it possible to call a public function from another class? but those solutions talk about inheritance. It seems inappropriate to abuse inheritance for things like date formatting. Such a function is very 'global' and you'd want to use it in many different places in a project, not just on web pages. What if you needed it in a Web Service, or within GLOBAL.ASAX.VB ?
So my question is: Can you make a function available in the way I want to, without using inheritance? Or do I have to settle for Public Class Helpful Inherits System.Web.UI.Page and change my code-behind files to have Inherits Helpful in them?
