SiteMapDataSource control
The SiteMapDataSource control is a data source to the site map data that is stored by the site map providers that are configured for your site. The SiteMapDataSource enables web server controls that are not specifically site navigation controls, such as the TreeView control, Menu control, and DropDownList control, to bind to hierarchical site map data. You can use these web server controls to display a site map as a table of contents or to actively navigate a site.
The most common way to use a SiteMapDataSource is to specify it in the Data Source Configuration Wizard when you set the Data Source of a data-bound control such as the TreeView or Menu controls.
You can also add a SiteMapDataSource control to a page by dragging it from the Toolbox task pane onto your page. When the control is on your page, right-click it and choose Properties to open the Tag Properties task pane where you can set properties for the control.
Tip
Many ASP.NET controls do not have a visual representation at run time. The control is always visible in Code view. If you do not see a representation of the control in Design view, on the View menu, point to Visual Aids and then click ASP.NET Non Visual Controls.
For more information about using the SiteMapDataSource control, see SiteMapDataSource Class in the MSDN library.