ASP.NET Vs SharePoint Web Parts

In general, you should design new Web Parts that inherit from the ASP.NET 2.0 WebPart [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=64030 ] class. ASP.NET Web Parts have description file names that use the .webpart extension. ASP.NET Web Parts provide the greatest flexibility and compatibility with Web sites that are not tightly coupled with Windows SharePoint Services.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Web Parts provide backward compatibility with Windows SharePoint Services 2.0. SharePoint Web Parts have description file names that use the .dwp extension. SharePoint Web Parts include additional functionality but can be used only in a SharePoint site. Following is a list of the added features of SharePoint Web Parts.

• Cross-page connections in SharePoint sites

• Connections between Web Parts that are outside of a Web Part zone

• Client-side connections using the Web Part Page Services Component

• Web Part data caching

• Asynchronous processing using Web Part work items

For more information about developing and connecting Web Parts, importing an ASP.NET Web Part to a Windows SharePoint Services site, and the SharePoint Web Part object model, see the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 SDK.