Features of ASP.NET Server Controls

1. HTML Server Controls: You can manipulate these controls at the server-side. Before dispatching a form to the client, the ASP Engine converts them to the equivalent HTML elements. These controls are included in the System.Web.UI.HtmlControls namespace.

2. Web Server Controls: It is also known as ASP.NET Web Form Controls. These are the new generation’s controls developed by Microsoft. They have many useful built-in features and a standard set of properties.

In the HTML or .aspx file, these are typically referenced with an asp: prefix such as asp: Label, asp: Button, or asp: TextBox. Besides the form type server controls, Such as – labels, button, and dropdown, etc. The ASP Engine also maps these controls to standard HTML equivalent controls before dispatching the page to the client. These Web server controls are available in the System.Web.UI.WebControls namespace.

3. Validation Controls: This set of controls provides Rapid Application Development (RAD) features for automatically checking the specified validity of user inputs. These controls are available in the System.Web.UI.WebControls namespace.

4. Custom Controls: You can develop your own server controls by extending an existing control or group of controls to provide additional functionalities. There are two versions of custom controls:

i. Web User Controls – The Web User Controls are very easy to develop, and it is typically stored as .ascx files.

ii. Web Custom Controls – The Web Custom Controls require in-depth knowledge of Object-Oriented Programming and the Common Language Runtime (CLR).