Standard Controls

ASP.NET Web Forms provides a rich set of standard controls that simplify the development of dynamic web pages. These controls abstract away the complexities of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, allowing you to focus on application logic. They render appropriate HTML markup based on the browser's capabilities.

Overview

Standard controls are server-side controls that you can drag and drop onto your Web Forms pages. They encapsulate common UI elements and functionalities, making it easier to build interactive web applications.

Common Standard Controls

Here's a look at some of the most frequently used standard controls:

Literal Control

Displays static text or the content of a string variable.

Label Control

Displays text that can be updated programmatically. Useful for displaying messages or dynamic content.

TextBox Control

Allows users to input text. Can be configured for single-line, multi-line, password, or masked input.

Button Control

Triggers an action on the server when clicked. Supports different types like Button, LinkButton, and ImageButton.

CheckBox Control

Represents a Boolean state (checked or unchecked). Useful for options or settings.

RadioButton Control

Allows users to select one option from a group of mutually exclusive choices.

DropDownList Control

Provides a single-selection list of items, rendered as an HTML <select> element.

ListBox Control

Allows users to select one or multiple items from a list.

CheckBoxList Control

Presents a list of checkboxes, allowing multiple selections.

RadioButtonList Control

Presents a list of radio buttons, allowing only a single selection.

Image Control

Displays an image. The source can be set dynamically.

HyperLink Control

Creates a hyperlink to another page or URL.

Using Standard Controls

You can add standard controls to your Web Forms page using the Visual Studio designer or by writing the markup directly in your .aspx file. Here's a simple example of adding a TextBox and a Button:

Example Markup

<asp:Label ID="lblName" runat="server" Text="Enter your name:" /><br />
<asp:TextBox ID="txtName" runat="server" /><br />
<asp:Button ID="btnSubmit" runat="server" Text="Submit" OnClick="btnSubmit_Click" />

Example C# Code-Behind

protected void btnSubmit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    string userName = txtName.Text;
    // Process the user name, e.g., display a welcome message
    Response.Write($"Hello, {userName}!");
}

Key Features

Server-Side Rendering: Controls execute on the server and generate HTML for the client.
Event Handling: Easily handle user interactions (like button clicks) through server-side event handlers.
State Management: Web Forms controls manage view state automatically, preserving their values across postbacks.
Designer Support: Visual Studio provides a drag-and-drop interface for easy control placement and configuration.

By leveraging standard controls, developers can significantly accelerate the development of robust and interactive web applications in ASP.NET Web Forms.

ASP.NET Web Forms Documentation

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