WebPart Class - Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages

Provides the base class for creating Windows SharePoint Services Web Parts.

Namespace: Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages
Assembly: Microsoft.SharePoint (in microsoft.sharepoint.dll)

eginning with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, the SharePoint Web Part infrastructure is designed and built to lie on top of the Microsoft ASP.NET Web Part infrastructure. Web Parts that inherit fromSystem.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPart are fully supported in Windows SharePoint Services (with the exception of user controls as generic Web Parts), and can be used not only in ASP.NET applications but also in Windows SharePoint Services applications, whether Windows SharePoint Services is involved or not. The Windows SharePoint ServicesWebPart class is part of an infrastructure that was designed specifically for SharePoint sites, and Web Parts that inherit from this class can be used only in SharePoint sites.

When creating new Web Parts, you have the option of creating Web Parts that inherit fromSystem.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPart (recommended) or Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPart. The Windows SharePoint ServicesWebPart class exists primarily for the purpose of backward compatibility (Web Parts written for Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 continue to work in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 without modification), and to provide a small set of features that are not available in the System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPart class.

The set of features provided exclusively by Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPart is as follows:

• Cross page connections

• Connections between Web Parts that are outside of a zone

• Client-side connections (Web Part Page Services Component)

• Data caching infrastructure, including the ability to cache to the database