Creating "Web Parts" for SharePoint with Visual Web Developer

Do you want to create web parts for SharePoint, but you don't want to buy/install a full blown Visual Studio? Well there is some good news! With the free Visual Web Developer 2005 you can create ASP.NET 2.0 Web User Controls, just like in Visual Studio 2005. So if you use the new Son of SmartPart (also free), you can show them in your SharePoint sites. There is however one limitation in Visual Web Developer, when you create the Web User Control all the server side code (C# or VB.NET) will be put in the ASCX file as well. So don't look for .CS/.VB files or DLL's, just copy the .ASCX to the UserControls folder and you're good to go.

Designing the user control in Visual Web Developer:

The same user control in SharePoint: