Web Part Controls (SharePoint Web Parts)
What is a Web Part? A Web Part is software component for SharePoint, a pre-built piece software that can be reused by another programmer or end user on a Web page inside Microsoft SharePoint based Web sites or Intranets. SharePoint Web Parts are a type of ASP.NET control that can be used inside Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) applications. A Web Part is a SharePoint component and is used as a SharePoint UI Control or User Interface Control to allow the SharePoint user to interact with the application and the data displayed on the Web page.
For example, a SharePoint developer can create or buy a set of standard Web Part controls that a user can add to their SharePoint Web page to display data, enter data or tailor the filtering and display of that data to their needs. By reusing pre-built ASP.NET Web Parts, the user gets more functionality and a more efficient SharePoint application to use. The Web Part developer retains control over the Web Parts controls that are used and hence this helps with quality, performance and support of the SharePoint app.
As the WSS Web Parts are ASP.NET controls, a type of reusable software component for SharePoint, you are able to buy commercial grade, quality Web Parts that have been created and that are supported by other companies or teams. For example, rather than create your own charting Web Part in C#, you can do a Web Part download and get an ASP.NET Web Part charting control from our Web site and try it out. The third party Web Part chart has been built by an expert in the area of charting and graphing, as such it will be full of a wide variety of chart types that would take you a long time to design, code, build & test - as well as support. By reusing third party ASP Web Parts, you can get extra functionality into or onto your SharePoint Web Page fast.
In this filtered view of our main product catalog you will find a SharePoint Web Part gallery that is growing all the time, as more and more companies create .NET Web Parts for the SharePoint market. Some examples for you, you will find a calendar and scheduling Web Parts control as a Web Parts download that enables you to add calendar functionality that goes well beyond the basic calendar Web Part found inside SharePoint as standard. There are also SharePoint datagrids that allow you to display your data in many different ways, including complex hierarchical, master/detail or parent/child datatables for SharePoint users to use. The list of SharePoint controls available as SharePoint Web Part products is expanding all the time, satisfy the demand from SharePoint programmers and their SharePoint users.