Using the intrinsic SharePoint Controls

inputformsectionandcontrolI’ve built application pages plenty of times, but admit that they never look like other application pages (particularly the ones in the Site Settings section).  OK, I can admit when I’m wrong, and this is another one of those times.  Turns out it is incredibly easy to make application pages, as well as other custom pages, leverage SharePoint’s intrinsic controls to provide a more common look and feel for your site.  More importantly, this significantly reduces the amount of work you need to do to make your custom pages respond properly to changes in themes!

Robin Meure has an excellent post that shows how to re-use the SharePoint built-in controls.  The post gives sample code of how to use the controls and an image that helps you to recognize the control that you are creating.  Awesome!  He even goes a step further and links to other content on the subject:

Basically every page in the SharePoint controls section by Karine Bosch (really, really, really good stuff!)

Selector Controls Rock! by Reza Alirezaei

Web part with Toolbar (Part 2)  by Reza Alirezaei & RepeatedControls to get a ToolBar look&feel without using the ToolBar control.

Great controls to be aware of when building SharePoint sites by Chris O'Brien

Great post, Robin.