Chapter 4. Controls
Controls are the building blocks of a graphical user interface (GUI). Familiar controls include buttons, checkboxes, list boxes, and so forth. Controls can provide a means for a user to indicate a preference, enter data, or make selections.
There are five types of web controls (each but the first will be covered in detail in this and coming chapters). They are:
- HTML controls
The original controls available to any HTML page. These all work in ASP.NET exactly as they work in other web pages. HTML controls will be used where appropriate in this book, but will not be discussed in detail. For a good resource on HTML controls, see HTML: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition, by Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy (O’Reilly).
- HTML server controls
Based on original HTML controls, but enhanced to enable server-side processing.
- Web (ASP) server controls
Server-side controls providing the same functionality as HTML server controls but integrated into the ASP.NET programming model.
- Validation controls
Provide a full range of built-in form validation capability. Chapter 8 discusses validation controls.
- User controls and custom controls
Controls created by the developer. Chapter 14 discusses user and custom controls.
HTML server controls and ASP controls both offer significant improvements over the old-style HTML controls. These include:
The ability to automatically maintain state, discussed in detail in Chapter 6.
ASP.NET detects the level of the target browser. Uplevel DHTML browsers ...
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