.NET Compact Framework controls

<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
<p>The <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> <a href="/facts/.NET_Compact_Framework/yc74kdnP">.NET Compact Framework</a> is a sub-library of <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework/J6QDAUhP">.NET Framework</a>. It simplifies the <a href="/facts/Mobile_application_development/WNdLURS0">mobile application development</a> of smart devices. These are to a large extent limited by the screen size, CPU performance or memory capacity. .NET Compact Framework takes some of the controls and libraries from .NET Framework. Moreover, it optimizes them to match the limited options of mobile devices in comparison with PCs.
There are certain criteria of user interface that mobile users demand. While plenty of functions of standard <a href="/facts/Personal_computer/koaYfNce">PC</a> or <a href="/facts/Macintosh/8GhnXTK0">Mac</a> applications add to the user experience, they might decrease the mobile user experience. Mobile screen is usually small. Therefore, the user may often miss click on mobile screen with many buttons. All of the .NET Compact Framework controls are hence optimized to overcome the possible limits of mobile devices. Third-party controls are also available.
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<h2 id="features">Features</h2>
<ul><li>faster UI development</li>
<li>widely used controls</li>
<li>source code availability</li>
<li>possibility to develop applications in <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Visual_Studio/omNe6Lej">Microsoft Visual Studio</a></li></ul>
<h2 id="net-compact-framework-controls-description">.NET Compact Framework controls description</h2>
<table><tbody><tr><th>Controls and Components</th><th>Description</th></tr><tr><td>Button</td><td>Button that responds to the user's tap.</td></tr><tr><td>CheckBox</td><td>Checkbox option.</td></tr><tr><td>ComboBox</td><td>Drop-down list from which users can select a value.</td></tr><tr><td>ContextMenu</td><td>Pop-up menus displayed when touching the object or item</td></tr><tr><td>Control</td><td>Base for custom controls creation.</td></tr><tr><td>DataGrid</td><td>Display data from DataSet, DataView or DataTable.</td></tr><tr><td>DateTimePicker</td><td>Pick date and time.</td></tr><tr><td>DocumentList</td><td>Displays and manages documents.</td></tr><tr><td>DomainUpDown</td><td>Definition of the list of controls that the control displays.</td></tr><tr><td>HardwareButton</td><td>Controls for hardware buttons of pocket device.</td></tr><tr><td>Help</td><td>Help function.</td></tr><tr><td>HScrollBar</td><td>Horizontal scroll bar.</td></tr><tr><td>ImageList</td><td>Holds and provides images to the ListView, TreeView and ToolBar controls.</td></tr><tr><td>InputPanel</td><td>Controls Soft Input Panel.</td></tr><tr><td>LinkLabel</td><td>Simple hyperlink functionality.</td></tr><tr><td>Label</td><td>Displays text.</td></tr><tr><td>ListBox and ListControl</td><td>Lists of items from which users can select a value.</td></tr><tr><td>ListView</td><td>Displays a grid.</td></tr><tr><td>LogFont</td><td>Defines a logical font.</td></tr><tr><td>MainMenu</td><td>Adds menu to a form.</td></tr><tr><td>MessageBox</td><td>One or two buttons message boxes.</td></tr><tr><td>MessageWindow</td><td>Generate and receive Windows messages.</td></tr><tr><td>Notification</td><td>Displays and responds to user notifications.</td></tr><tr><td>MobileDevice</td><td>Releases cached resources.</td></tr><tr><td>NumericUpDown</td><td>Numeric input. Combination of a text box and a vertical scroll bar.</td></tr><tr><td>OpenFileDialog</td><td>Provides access to a standard open file dialog box.</td></tr><tr><td>PictureBox</td><td>Displays images.</td></tr><tr><td>ProgressBar</td><td>Visual indicator of a progress of a task.</td></tr><tr><td>RadioButton</td><td>Graphical button and a text descriptor.</td></tr><tr><td>SaveFileDialog</td><td>Opens a save file dialog.</td></tr><tr><td>ScreenOrientation</td><td>Allows you to change the screen orientation value to 90, 180, or 270.</td></tr><tr><td>StatusBar</td><td>Adds a status bar to a form.</td></tr><tr><td>TabControl</td><td>Tabbed interface for an application.</td></tr><tr><td>TextBox</td><td>Basic text input field.</td></tr><tr><td>Timer</td><td>Simple timer functionality.</td></tr><tr><td>TrackBar</td><td>Used to obtain a numeric input.</td></tr><tr><td>TreeView</td><td>Displays tree control.</td></tr><tr><td>VScrollBar</td><td>Implementation of a vertical scroll bar.</td></tr><tr><td>Panel</td><td>Implementation of a Panel container control.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
</p><h2 id="third-party-net-compact-framework-controls">Third-party .NET Compact Framework controls</h2>
<p>Apart from <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>, other companies exist who produce .NET Compact Framework controls. See External links section below to find out more third-party .NET Compact Framework controls.
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<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=e3821449-3c6b-42f1-9fd9-0041345b3385&displaylang=en">.NET Compact Framework 3.5 Download</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110530151837/http://beemobile4.net/">Third-party .NET Compact Framework controls</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Roof, Larry. The Definitive Guide to the .NET Compact Framework. A! Press, 2003, p. 137-194 <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"FIX: You cannot scroll through a Web page or visit a link by using a .NET Compact Framework 3.5-based application that hosts a WebBrowser control in Windows Mobile 6.1.4 or in Windows Mobile 6.5". Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-30. <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975281" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975281</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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.NET Compact Framework controls open-in-new

.NET Compact Framework controls