Component Workshop Releases Open Source Windows Forms Explorer Bar Control

Component Workshop

"Open Source Windows Forms ExplorerBar Control

Add stylish XP style ExplorerBar's to all you .NET applications.

Make use of FULL XP theme support, including custom theme classes and parts.

Drag and drop support that allows your end users to customize the gui at runtime.

Use any Windows Forms control as an ExplorerBar item allowing you to turn a simple explorerbar into a complex gui.

Download full source code and a sample application here.

NOTE : The download contains a Visual Studio 2003 solution and two VB.NET projects

Component Workshop have made this component free for any purpose and therefore take no responsibility for is usage or support, however community support if offered through the company forums. "

This is kind of cool...

While Explorer bars don't really float my boat, I do have users who do like them. And while there are about a billion of these available, this one is not only free but also VB.net OSS.

I think this is a smart approach, that I've also tried to encourage at my work. Release non-competitive advantage work/projects/utilities/code/etc as free or OSS to earn credibility, mind-share and good will.

Getting free stuff is cool. Getting cool free stuff is better. Getting cool free stuff with source is the best...

And guess what? It works...

The next time I need a product like Component Workshop sells, I will think of them early due to the good will they've earned in my mind by releasing this component as OSS...

(via The ServerSide.Net - Component Workshop Releases Open Source ExplorerBar Control