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The ASP.NET WebForms model aims to simplify web development by blurring the line between the client and the server. In short, WebForms allow the page developer to set aside the fact that the browser and the web server are temporally, physically, and logically disconnected. The page developer can create server-side event handlers that execute in response to a client-side action (like clicking a button). He can make server-side changes to properties of Web controls on the page and need not worry about reinstating those properties on the subsequent postback. One of the essential ingredients for performing this magic is view state.

View state represents the state of an ASP.NET web page that is to be remembered across postbacks. On each page visit, an ASP.NET web page automatically constructs this state information and stores it to a hidden form field on the page named __VIEWSTATE. When the form is submitted, the browser returns this hidden form field to the server; the ASP.NET page then parses the view state information to reconstruct the state from the previous page visit. This entire process happens automatically behind the scenes and is, in part, what makes ASP.NET web development so accessible.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and view state is no exception. The presence of view state adds to the size of the page, thereby resulting in larger page sizes that can negatively effect the user experience. What's more, certain controls - such as DropDownLists and GridViews - can significantly add to the heft of a page's view state. It's a good practice for WebForm developers to keep an eye on their pages' view state sizes to ensure an optimal user experience. This article two ways to programmatically determine a page's view state size and to provide a warning should the view state size exceed some specified threshold.

Integrating WPF and XAML with the windows forms NotifyIcon control to produce a slick, styled popup window when the mouse is moved over the NotifyIcon

This article describes the creation of a non-MFC custom Propertygrid control

A tooltip to display separate title, contents, and image of each control, and enable for custom shaped.

A treeview with multiple columns.

A custom combobox control that uses a datatable and can show multiple columns

Presents methods to handle some of the trickier aspects of MVVM, including error message localization, multi-control validation, validation with multiple instances of a view, and whole-view validation.

Creating Multiple Dynamic Views using View Model Style and the Silverlight Tab Control

A simple and easy way to add shopping cart to your web and start using it

A control that allows you to create multiple areas with tabs that you can pull with the mouse and as a result change the configuration of these areas.