Web Part Compatibility

When web parts first came out with SharePoint 2001, there wasn't much of an issue with compatibility. However, now with SharePoint 2003 out for several years, ASP.Net 2.0 supporting web parts, and soon SharePoint 2007 will be released, one has to consider version compatibility among these versions. Listed below are some facts to help decipher any compatibility issues.

• Using Son of SmartPart will allow you to run ASP.NET 2.0 UserControls and WebParts in SharePoint 2003.
• SharePoint 2003 web parts will not work in ASP.NET 2.0 pages with Web Part Zones.
• SharePoint 2003 web parts will work in SharePoint 2007.

In addition, take time to review Dino Esposito's article "WebParts: From Sharepoint to ASP.NET 2.0". It discusses the similarities and differences between the two models.