msdn - User Interface Collections / DLL (Dynamic Link Libraries) / Visual Studio .NET (Tools & Add-ins, Controls & Components) - Top Reviews

What is a DLL? A DLL, short for Dynamic Link Library, is a library that contains both code and data that can be used as a shared DLL or resource DLL by more than one program or application at the same time. Using Windows DLLs or DLL libraries allows the developer to make more efficient use of memory and disk space, as well as allowing for a more modular approach to the application design that encourages componentization and code re-use.

A DLL library can be used as a software component to add functionality to your application or project, without the need to spend the time to write all of the code yourself. You will find .NET DLL products and C# DLL products here for a variety of common tasks that are both visual and non-visual.

For example you will find dynamic DLL products that are datagrid DLLs that enable you to provide data grids or to present datatables in your app. Or if you need full calc engine functionality there are spreadsheet DLLs available too. If you are looking for charting DLLs or graphing DLLs, you will find several products here to include in your application to draw pie-charts, bar charts, line graphs etc.

Other visual DLL libraries listed here include: a DLL editor for text editing and word processing, calendar DLLs for planning and scheduling, Computer Aided Design or CAD DLLs, image processing DLLs and image conversion DLLs and DLL libraries for document imaging & scanning, OCR DLLs for optical character recognition projects, as well as complex DLLs for multi-media and video compression tasks, or a simple dynamic DLL to display a barcode.

You will also find non-visual dynamic DLL products, that work in the background to add functionality to your your application, such as sending and receiving emails via SMTP or POP or transferring files via FTP or HTTP over the Internet. Or non-visual data reporting DLLs to create daily management reports or scheduled MIS reports overnight or to create PDF files in batch mode using a PDF DLL library to carry out the file format and conversion task for you.

You will also find similar C++ DLL or CPP DLL products or DLL libraries for your Visual C++ application or the equivalent Borland library for your BC++ project code.

Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (MS Visual Studio .NET) allows Visual Studio .NET programmers to create Windows applications for their end users fast. Visual Studio .NET developers can extend the standard functionality available inside the Visual Studio .NET IDE with a variety of Visual Studio .NET add-ins and Visual Studio .NET tools. The extensibility of Visual Studio .NET software is one of the main reasons it has proved to be so popular with developers, as Visual Studio .NET software engineers can find Visual Studio .NET downloads from other companies or other developers to act as a Visual Studio .NET extension to their Visual Studio .NET IDE.

The versatility of Visual Studio .NET also extends to various forms of Visual Studio .NET software components. Visual Studio .NET controls can be used to create feature rich Visual Studio .NET user interfaces on forms and Web pages for Visual Studio .NET apps. These Visual Studio .NET UI controls are augmented by non-visual Visual Studio .NET components or Visual Studio .NET libraries that can help a developer add many hidden features in Visual Studio .NET applications running in the background. These non-visual components are commonly available as a Visual C++ library, Visual C++ Class library, Visual Basic library, Visual Basic Class library or as a Visual Basic custom control or ActiveX/OCX component.

An example of a visual Visual Studio .NET control is Janus GridEx for .NET, a .NET UI control that allows you to create an MS Outlook style or look and feel to your latest Visual Basic project. A non-visual .NET component example is a Visual Studio .NET compatible product that allows you to create and output files in different formats, such as: PDF, XPS, PostScript, RTF, HTML, XML to help solve file conversion and document storage needs.

Other examples of a visual Visual Studio .NET control is BCGControlBar Professional, a Visual C++ Class Library that allows you to create an MS Office Ribbon style or look and feel to your latest Visual C++ project. A non-visual Visual C++ Class Library component example is a Visual C++ compatible product call IP*Works! C++ Edition that allows you to send emails via SMTP and POP or to transfer files reliably  using HTTP or FTP Internet protocols from within your Visual C++ program.

The Visual Studio .NET software products listed in this Visual Studio .NET product gallery will allow you to save a lot of time and effort in creating your new Visual Studio .NET app. Whether you are looking for a Visual Studio .NET plug-in or Visual Studio .NET utility, or you are looking for a Visual Studio .NET control or a Visual Studio .NET component, you will be able to find a wide variety of Visual Studio .NET tools to help you finish your project faster.

We also have other Visual Studio product galleries for: Visual Studio 2010, Visual Studio 2008, Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio compatible products.