What are the differences between User Controls, Server Controls & Custom Controls?
I thought I had reasonable answers for this question at a recent interview, but I bombed it. :(
- What are the major differences between the three?
- If not obvious by the answer to the previous bullet, when would you choose one over the other?
Answer
User Controls are controls built with a designer within a web project. They typically are only private to a web application (Although there are ways you can make them available to other projects).
Server Controls are controls that are also known as Web Controls. These are reusable controls that render their html without the aid of a designer, they are created in a seperate assembly from the web application, are appropiate for controls which will be used in many different web applications
Composite Controls are a sub type of Web Controls and are controls which are made up (composed) of other web controls.
I've never heard of a custom control to mean anything other then a control which is custom built by you or your team. And it could include user, web or composite controls.