---
title: SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103 architecture
summary: Architectural responsibilities, boundaries, and interaction patterns for the ObjectBinder presentation-tier data-binding framework.
status: draft
owner: SAIF documentation team
last_reviewed: 2026-08-17
library: SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103
reference_type: embedded
---

# SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103 architecture

`SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103` is a pure presentation-tier UI-binding library ("ObjectBinder") that connects SAIF business objects to ASP.NET WebForms controls, including both classic (v10.3 "NetAdvantage classic") and modern Infragistics control families. It performs no database access and enforces no business rules of its own; it delegates validation to the bound business object's `IDataErrorInfo`/`IsValid` implementation and surfaces the result as control-level formatting and aggregated error messages.

## Responsibilities
- Register and coordinate per-control data bindings between ASP.NET/Infragistics WebForms controls and SAIF business-object properties, via `clsObjectBindManager` acting as a page-level `System.Web.UI.Control` facade/mediator.
- Push business-object property values into bound controls (object → control) and pull control values back into business-object properties (control → object), using reflection-based property get/set defined in the shared base class `clsObjectBinderBase`.
- Aggregate and surface validation errors from bound business objects (via `IDataErrorInfo`/`IsValid`) as CSS error/valid formatting on controls and as consolidated error text (optional `ErrorLabel`/`SAIFMessage` display).
- Support supplemental validation scenarios that are not simple property-to-control bindings: custom validators (`clsCustomValidator`, property/method/object modes) and dual binders where the displayed value and the validated value come from different object/property pairs (`AddDualBinder`).
- Provide typed argument bags (`clsObjectBindingArgs` and its nested argument classes) that carry control-family-specific binding options (padding, grid keys, mask/numeric/date-editor options) into the `Add()` overload family.

## Component boundaries
- **`clsObjectBindManager`** (root orchestrator): owns the `ArrayList` of active binder instances (`m_Bindings`), exposes the ~90 overloaded `Add()` methods (one family per control type), `DataBind()`, `BindToObject()`, `Validate()`, `RefreshValidation()`, `AddCustomValidator()`, `AddDualBinder()`, and grid/DDL `Update()` helpers. It is the only type a consuming ASPX page interacts with directly.
- **`clsObjectBinderBase`** (shared binder contract/services): `MustInherit` root of the binder hierarchy defining the abstract contract (`Init()`, `ObjectToControl()`, `ControlToObject()`) every concrete binder implements, plus shared reflection-based property access, error-state CSS formatting (`SetControlFormat`), `IDataErrorInfo` error harvesting (`GetErrors`), and SAIF-framework-object detection (`IsSAIFFrameWorkObject`).
- **`clsObjectBindingArgs`** (argument surface): strongly-typed argument bag and nested/related argument classes (`CheckBoxBindingArgs`, `PadArgs`, `HierarchialGridArgs`, `UltraGridBindingArgs`, `WebDataGridBindingArgs`, `WebHierarchicalDataGridBindingArgs`, `SAIFMaskEditBindingArgs`/`WebMaskEditBindingArgs`, `WebDateTimeEditBindingArgs`, `WebNumericEditBindingArgs`) that parameterize `Add()` overloads.
- **`clsCustomValidator`**: a non-control-bound validator supporting Property/Method/Object validation modes via delegate properties, registered through the same `AddBinder()` path as control binders.
- **`ASPControls\`** (stock ASP.NET WebControls binder family): `clsCheckBoxBinder`, `clsCheckBoxListBinder`, `clsDataListBinder`, `clsDDLBinder`, `clsHyperLinkBinder`, `clsLabelBinder`, `clsRadioButtonBinder`, `clsTextBoxBinder` — each adapts a standard `System.Web.UI.WebControls` type to the `clsObjectBinderBase` contract.
- **`InfragisticsControls\`** (modern Infragistics `Infragistics.Web.UI` family): `clsSAIFWebMaskEditorBinder`, `clsWebDataGridBinder`, `clsWebDatePickerBinder`, `clsWebDateTimeEditorBinder`, `clsWebHierarchicalDataGridBinder`, `clsWebMaskEditorBinder`, `clsWebNumericEditorBinder`, `clsWebTextEditorBinder`.
- **`InfragisticsClassicControls\`** (classic "10.3 NetAdvantage" family): `clsSAIFWebMaskEditBinder`, `clsUltraGridBinder`, `clsWebComboBinder`, `clsWebDateChooserBinder`, `clsWebDateTimeEditBinder`, `clsWebHtmlEditorBinder`, `clsWebMaskEditBinder`, `clsWebNumericEditBinder`, `clsWebTextEditBinder`.
- **`Enums.vb`** (shared vocabulary): public enums/delegates (`ObjectDataType`, `PadDirection`, `PadTarget`, `ControlBindProperty`, `NumericControlProperty`, `CustomValidationType`, `BindTypes`, `CustomBindingControls`, and the `PropertyValidator`/`MethodValidator`/`CustomValidator` delegates) used across all binder families.
- **Root-level orphaned duplicates**: a parallel set of root-level `.vb` files with the same class names as the `ASPControls\`/`InfragisticsControls\`/`InfragisticsClassicControls\` binders exist on disk but are excluded from the `.vbproj` `Compile Include` list; they are stale, unbuilt copies* and are not part of the compiled component boundary, even though the `.nuspec` packages them as source (see [Dependencies](dependencies.md)).

## Interaction model
- A consuming ASPX page instantiates `clsObjectBindManager` as a server control and calls one of the `Add()` overloads per control/business-object property to register a binding; each call constructs the matching concrete binder, sets `FormControl` (triggering `ProcessControl`), sets `BindType`/`UseEvents`, calls `Init()` (wiring native control change events when `UseEvents` is true), and registers the binder via the private `AddBinder()` helper, which also keys the bound object into `m_ValidationObjects` (a `HybridDictionary`) using `ValidationKey`.
- `DataBind()` (an override of `Control.DataBind`, also invoked automatically from `OnPreRender` when `AutoBind = True`) iterates all registered binders and calls `ObjectToControl()` on any binder whose `BindType` is `ObjectToControl` or `TwoWay`, pushing business-object property values into controls.
- `BindToObject()` iterates binders whose controls are not event-driven (or all binders, if `inAllControls:=True`) and calls `ControlToObject()` for `ControlToObject`/`TwoWay` binders, pulling control values back into business-object properties with binder-specific type coercion (e.g., `clsDDLBinder.ControlToObject` switches on `ObjectDataType`).
- `Validate()`/`RefreshValidation()` first call `BindToObject()` to sync non-event-driven controls, optionally re-check `IsValid` on distinct bound objects, then iterate binders calling `PerformValidation()` (custom validators) or `GetErrors()` (standard binders reading `IDataErrorInfo.Item(property)`), aggregating unique error messages, tracking the first control in error, applying CSS formatting via `SetControlFormat`, and writing consolidated error text to an optional `ErrorLabel` and/or `SAIFMessage` control.
- `AddDualBinder()` supports binding a control's displayed value to one object/property while validating against a different object/property pair, for a fixed set of control kinds (`CustomBindingControls`).
- `Update(UltraWebGrid|WebDataGrid|DropDownList, dataSource)` locates an existing matching binder by control `UniqueID`, updates its `BindSource`, and re-invokes `ObjectToControl()` to refresh the control after the underlying collection changes; this re-registers the binder via `AddBinder()`, which appends rather than replaces the entry in `m_Bindings`*.
- The library's only coupling to `SAIF.BOF.Framework` is reflection/string-based: `IsSAIFFrameWorkObject` walks the CLR base-type chain for the literal names `"clsBusinessCollectionBase"`/`"clsBusinessBase"`, and the validation key is derived from the object's `MyGuid` property (via reflection) when recognized, or the uppercased type name otherwise.

## Architecture diagram
The following diagram shows the high-level component interactions between a consuming page, the binder manager, concrete binders, and bound business objects.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
	Page["Consuming ASPX page"] --> Manager["clsObjectBindManager<br>(facade/mediator)"]
	Manager --> Base["clsObjectBinderBase<br>(shared binder contract)"]
	Base --> ASP["ASPControls binders<br>(TextBox, DDL, CheckBox, CheckBoxList, DataList, HyperLink, Label, RadioButton)"]
	Base --> Modern["InfragisticsControls binders<br>(WebDataGrid, WebDatePicker, WebDateTimeEditor, WebMaskEditor, WebNumericEditor, WebTextEditor, WebHierarchicalDataGrid)"]
	Base --> Classic["InfragisticsClassicControls binders<br>(UltraWebGrid, WebCombo, WebDateChooser, WebDateTimeEdit, WebHtmlEditor, WebMaskEdit, WebNumericEdit, WebTextEdit)"]
	Base --> Validator["clsCustomValidator"]
	Manager --> BizObj["SAIF business object<br>(clsBusinessBase / clsBusinessCollectionBase)*"]
	Base --> BizObj
	Manager --> ErrorUI["ErrorLabel / SAIFMessage control*"]
```

## Sequence diagram
The following diagram shows the primary object-to-control data push and validation sequence.

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
	participant Page as ASPX page
	participant Manager as clsObjectBindManager
	participant Binder as Concrete binder
	participant Obj as SAIF business object
	Page->>Manager: Add(control, object, keyProperty, [args], bindType)
	Manager->>Binder: New binder, Init(), AddBinder()
	Page->>Manager: DataBind()
	Manager->>Binder: ObjectToControl()
	Binder->>Obj: GetObjectValue(AsString)
	Obj-->>Binder: property value
	Binder-->>Manager: control updated
	Page->>Manager: Validate()
	Manager->>Binder: BindToObject(), GetErrors()
	Binder->>Obj: IDataErrorInfo.Item(property)
	Obj-->>Binder: error text
	Binder-->>Manager: aggregated errors, CSS formatting
	Manager-->>Page: IsValid / error state
```

## Design constraints
- No database access and no independent business-rule evaluation: all rule outcomes originate in bound `SAIF.BOF.Framework` business objects and are only surfaced, not computed, here.
- Two Infragistics control-library generations must be supported side by side (`InfragisticsClassicControls\` for v10.3 "classic" controls vs. `InfragisticsControls\` for the modern `Infragistics.Web.UI` family), doubling the binder surface for grid/editor control types.
- SAIF-framework-object detection is a string/reflection-based check on the CLR base-type chain (`"clsBusinessCollectionBase"`/`"clsBusinessBase"`) rather than a compiled type reference, coupling correctness to type-name stability in `SAIF.BOF.Framework`.
- The `.vbproj` `Compile Include` list is the authoritative definition of the built surface; a full parallel set of root-level duplicate binder `.vb` files exists on disk but is excluded from compilation, is textually different (7–10 lines) from the built subfolder versions, and is nonetheless packaged as source into the NuGet package by the repository's `.nuspec` recursive glob — a known discrepancy between packaged source and built binary content*.
- Resolution of the modern `Infragistics.Web.UI.GridControls`/`Infragistics.Web.UI.EditorControls` namespaces at build time is not confirmed from this library's own project references and is presumed to occur transitively through the `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Controls.V2` project reference.**
- `Update()`'s append-rather-than-replace behavior in `m_Bindings` when re-registering a binder for a changed data source may produce duplicate binder entries; this appears to be an unverified latent behavior rather than a confirmed intentional design choice.*

> **Note:** Statements marked with * were inferred from code structure, naming conventions, or contextual evidence where direct confirmation was not available in source artifacts. Statements marked with ** could not be confirmed; treat as unknown until verified.

## Related documentation
- [Index](index.md)
- [Overview](overview.md)
- [Dependencies](dependencies.md)
- [Operations and processes](operations-processes.md)
- [Business rules](business-rules.md)
- [API reference](api/index.md)

## Sources
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103.vbproj`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\clsObjectBindManager.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\clsObjectBinderbase.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\clsObjectBindingArgs.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\clsCustomValidator.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\Enums.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\ASPControls\clsTextBoxBinder.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\ASPControls\clsDDLBinder.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\ASPControls\clsCheckBoxListBinder.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\InfragisticsClassicControls\clsUltraGridBinder.vb`
- `SAIF.Presentation.Web.Binding.Infragistics103\InfragisticsClassicControls\clsSAIFWebMaskEditBinder.vb`
- `SAIF.BOF.Presentation.Web.Infragistics103.nuspec`