What is Infragistics:
Infragistics NetAdvantage tools are specially designed to provide feature rich User Interface to Window and Web applications. Infragistics tools are available to download (trial Version) from www.infragistics.com. The latest released version is 5.3. It is a set of web and windows controls like UltraWebTree, UltraWebGrid, UltraWebPanel etc. Same sort of tools are available for windows as well.
How To Use:
You have to download the installer from the infragistics website and run it. After the installation is over, it will create a shortcut in you start menu. There you can find a option called “create Infragistics Tab for VS” . Click on this and it will create a new Tab in your toolbox with the heading “Infragistics”. It will displat appropriate controls availble for the type of application you are creating. For example, if you are working with windows application, it will only display the window controls.
Why to Use:
Infragistics controls are really good to provide exceptional user interface with a great flexibility.
Thethings that we can imagine in windows applications, it provides in web interface as well. That is where the key for infragistics lies. Every application require certain features like “total in grid footer” or “Master Child display inside a grid or Tree”. For creating such interface, we have to write our own custom controls, which will take a noticable time becuase these options are not there with the ASP.NET GRID, which is provided with the .NET Framework. So, It is wise to use infragistics tools when the application requires complex UI dealings.
My Recommndations:
Infragistics is a good product. It is really User Friendly and if used properly, can provide a great User Interface. I am using Infragistics since 2004. I personally believe that Infragistics is not a Programmer Friendly tool becuase the documentation is very poor and no proper examples are given on the website. Programmer has to find his/her own ways to deal with the design issues.
This leads to non-uniformity of the approach becuase same functionality will be achieved in different ways by different programmers.
Secondly, Infragistics is poor at the performance end. I do agree that given the functionality, it is acceptable but in certain cases it doesn’t come to the expected performance.
In order to help the programmer community, I am starting a series of Infragistics Articles for ASP.NET tool on Version 5.3. I hope this will be utilized and given due importance.
Summary:
As a programmer I must say that first learn and then only use infragistics tools. They are not worth giving trial- error approach. It will take much of your time, if you work directly without learning it. Use them because they are worth trying.