Chapter 6: ASP.NET Web Form Controls

Overview

The previous chapter discussed the range of HTML server controls and validation controls that are part of ASP.NET. You saw how they are part of the fundamental foundations on which ASP.NET is built. These controls cause ASP.NET pages to output HTML that implements the control elements in the browser (for example, an <input> or <select> element). However, the server controls are also objects compiled within the page on the server, and so you can interact with them while dynamically building the page.

Moreover, the basic concept of using server controls allows the change to a more structured event-driven-programming model . This provides a cleaner programming environment that is easier to work in and debug when things go wrong.

However, the server controls you saw in the previous chapter (with the exception of the validation controls) are really nothing more than server-side equivalents of the normal HTML elements that implement controls for use on a <form> . They still provide a valid model for building interactive forms, but this can be bettered.

This chapter looks at:

• The ASP.NET Web Form controls in general.

• The basic Web Form input and navigation server controls.

• The Web Form server controls used for building lists.

• The 'rich' Web Form controls that provide complex compound interface elements.

We start with the basic Web Form input and navigation controls.