Controls are Windows Forms widgets: listboxes, buttons, checkboxes, labels, text boxes, and so forth, that provide a visual user interface for a Windows application.

Previous chapters covered many of the features common to all Windows Forms controls—all members of the System.Windows.Forms.Control class and all objects derived from that class. These features provide all controls with a basic level of functionality, including size, location, appearance, and mouse and keyboard support.

This chapter will describe two of the most basic classes of controls provided as part of the .NET Framework: Label and Button. Virtually all applications use both types of controls. Although they look simple and one dimensional, both classes offer surprising depth and versatility.