Room for Improvement

At the time this article was written, version 3 of Web ComboBox was still in Beta 2. There were several issues being tracked in the vendor's forums. In addition, some of the samples seemed partially complete, and some documentation had yet to be filled out (for example, details about the control Designer were absent). As this product is still in Beta, the bulk of these issues will likely be resolved by the time the component is officially released. Either way, the core component seems generally robust enough for deployment as-is.

General Feelings

This control is the one-stop solution for any lookup functionality required in a web application. There is no question that it sits at the top of the pack in terms of functionality and in terms of features. While there are other controls available that provide some of the same capabilities, I haven't seen one that goes the extra mile in terms of integration with the .NET DataGrid, user controls, and other business layer components of ASP.NET, and is as technologically innovative on the client-side.

It's my opinion that this component will likely move into the top position for AJAX-based lookup controls for years to come. At a price point of roughly $200, it may be out of the reach of independent developers, but a powerful addition to a professional web developer's toolbox.

Web ComboBox V3
eBusiness Applications
http://developer.ebusiness-apps.com