How does control state differ from view state in ASP.NET?
Control state and view state in ASP.NET are both mechanisms for persisting data across postbacks, but they differ in a few key aspects:
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Scope:
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Control state: Control state is specific to an individual control. Each control can have its own control state, and it stores control-specific data.
- View state: View state is associated with the entire page and encompasses the state of all controls on that page.
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Accessibility:
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Control state: Control state is encapsulated within the control itself. It cannot be accessed or modified by other controls or the page.
- View state: View state is accessible to all controls on the page. Controls can read and modify the view state of other controls.
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Disabling:
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Control state: Control state cannot be disabled. It is always enabled as long as the control has its EnableViewState property set to true.
- View state: View state can be selectively disabled for the entire page or for individual controls using the EnableViewState property. If view state is disabled, control state is still persisted and available.
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Persistence:
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Control state: Control state is persisted as a part of the page's hidden form field. It is sent back to the server during postbacks and remains intact even if view state is disabled.
- View state: View state is persisted as a hidden field in the page and is sent back to the server during postbacks. If view state is disabled, the view state data is not sent to the server, and controls lose their state.
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Data Size:
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Control state: Control state has a smaller storage capacity compared to view state. It is designed to store critical control-specific data that is necessary for the control's functionality.
- View state: View state can store larger amounts of data and is intended for preserving the state of controls, including property values, control hierarchies, and other relevant information.