1. In ASP.NET 2.0 Is there a setting that sets all current and future controls on a
page to position absolute automatically so that I don't have to set
each one manually?

2. In ASP.NET 2.0 I'd like to code have a "New" button, that when selected makes
visible a detailview in insert mode and with only the insert command
available. I would imagine I'd be adding an onclick event for the
button that makes the control visible, but how would I graphically
configure edittemplate (I think) for the control to only exist in
insert mode? Perhaps my approach is wrong.

3. In C#, How do I dynamically set the ErrorMessage value of a custom validator?

This code works with the preset ErrorMessage.

 protected void CustomValidator1_ServerValidate(object source,
ServerValidateEventArgs args)
    {
        if (TextBox1.Text.Length < 1)
        {
            args.IsValid = false;
        }
    } 

4. IN C#, regarding Generic List and a Datasource that is using a
business object to pull data via a stored procedures into a Generic
list.

I'm trying to take apart the dotNet Time Tracker dotNet C# starterkit
sample application and replicate a part of the code.

At a high level, I have a very simple SQL server table and stored
procedure which I have no problems binding from directly from an
ASP.NET control...

Table BOOK
name varchar(50)
phone varchar(10)

ALTER procedure "jcp1"
@name varchar(50) AS
SELECT phone FROM book where name = @name

What I'm trying to do is return a dataview given a textbox value passed
to to the stored procedure, but using C# method and List<> like they do
in the sample Ap. Eventough I might not need to, I'm trying to  use a
generic List but I'm just not getting it.

I reverted my code to the closest working revision, the below code is
apparently fetching the correct row, however I am unable to see or list
no other other items except LENGTH of the returning field when
configuring the control in the UI . I suspect this is because I'm using
List<string> and not List<whaterver>.

The Dataview source is the method getphone() with a where clause of a
textbox = name
The idea being, if I enter "Jason" in the texbox, the dataview would
list phone with name "Jason"..

I'm sure there is more right than wrong with the below - I just taking
shots in the dark at this point.

using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Configuration;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Security;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
using System.Web.UI.HtmlControls;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.Specialized;
using System.Collections;
using System.Text;

/// <summary>
/// Summary description for jcp
/// </summary>
///

public class book
{
    private string name;
    private string phone;

}

public class jcp
{

    private delegate void TGenerateListFromReader<T>(SqlDataReader
returnData, ref List<T> tempList);
    /**** connection string */
    public static string ConnectionString =
ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["ConnectionString"].ConnectionString;

    public static List<string> GetPhone(string name) {
      SqlCommand sqlCmd = new SqlCommand();
      AddParamToSQLCmd(sqlCmd, "@name", SqlDbType.NText, 50,
ParameterDirection.Input, name);
      SetCommandType(sqlCmd, CommandType.StoredProcedure, "jcp1");
      List<string> userList = new List<string>();
      TExecuteReaderCmd<string>(sqlCmd, TGeneratephone<string>, ref
userList);
      return (userList);
    }

    #region SQL HELPER

    protected static void AddParamToSQLCmd(SqlCommand sqlCmd,
                                 string paramId,
                                 SqlDbType sqlType,
                                 int paramSize,
                                 ParameterDirection paramDirection,
                                 object paramvalue)
    {

        if (sqlCmd == null)
            throw (new ArgumentNullException("sqlCmd"));
        if (paramId == string.Empty)
            throw (new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("paramId"));

        SqlParameter newSqlParam = new SqlParameter();
        newSqlParam.ParameterName = paramId;
        newSqlParam.SqlDbType = sqlType;
        newSqlParam.Direction = paramDirection;

        if (paramSize > 0)
            newSqlParam.Size = paramSize;

        if (paramvalue != null)
            newSqlParam.Value = paramvalue;

        sqlCmd.Parameters.Add(newSqlParam);
    }

    private static void SetCommandType(SqlCommand sqlCmd, CommandType
cmdType, string cmdText)
    {
        sqlCmd.CommandType = cmdType;
        sqlCmd.CommandText = cmdText;
    }

    private static void ExecuteScalarCmd(SqlCommand sqlCmd)
    {
        if (ConnectionString == string.Empty)
            throw (new
ArgumentOutOfRangeException("ConnectionString"));

        if (sqlCmd == null)
            throw (new ArgumentNullException("sqlCmd"));

        using (SqlConnection cn = new SqlConnection(ConnectionString))
        {
            sqlCmd.Connection = cn;
            cn.Open();
            sqlCmd.ExecuteScalar();
        }
    }

    private static void TExecuteReaderCmd<T>(SqlCommand sqlCmd,
TGenerateListFromReader<T> gcfr, ref List<T> List)
    {
        if (ConnectionString == string.Empty)
            throw (new
ArgumentOutOfRangeException("ConnectionString"));

        if (sqlCmd == null)
            throw (new ArgumentNullException("sqlCmd"));

        using (SqlConnection cn = new SqlConnection(ConnectionString))
        {
            sqlCmd.Connection = cn;

            cn.Open();

            gcfr(sqlCmd.ExecuteReader(), ref List);
        }
    }

    private static void TGeneratephone<T>(SqlDataReader returnData, ref
List<string> phoneList)
    {
        while (returnData.Read())
        {
            string phone = (string)returnData["phone"];
            phoneList.Add(phone);
        }
    }

    #endregion SQL HELPER

}