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The Sharepoint 2007 System introduces two types of pages the first type usually called Application Pages and other type called Site Pages.

As a sharepoint developer you should know both of these types of pages and when to use them, so let me define them here briefly and show some differences between them to help you decide which type of pages you will want to use when developing in sharepoint.

Application Pages

Application Pages are non customizable and are found in  the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS, its worthy to note that this physical directory is mapped to the virtual _layouts directory whenever WSS/MOSS creates a new Web application in the IIS. By using this mapping scheme along with some additional processing logic, the WSS/MOSS runtime can make each application page accessible within the context of any site in the farm.

When building custom application pages you should use the Microsoft.Sharepoint.LayoutsPageBase as a base class and should be content pages that reference to the ~/_layouts/application.master master page, Application Pages might include in line code or have a code behind file compiled in a dll, to deploy application pages they should be the LAYOUTS directory and all custom code dlls either in the GAC.More...

A new feature in the Sharepoint 2007 is the "Feature" development style which means that every tiny and huge development task in the sharepoint is considered a "Feature".

Features can be activated or deactivated through a site administrator, which enables the very simple turn on/off of anything in the site.

Features are used for developing anything starting from a small button to a full site definition and tons of files and functions including webparts, workflows, lists, pages, content types, document libraries and others. I will try to include the development of all these topics in this series wish me luck and provide feedback. More...

I mentioned a long while ago that I will work on some sharepoint and workflow foundation in order to enlarge my development knowledge base, I learned some stuff on the way may be all sharepoint and workflows beginners already know them but I love to share them for others.

I will start another series for sharepoint development (for beginners as myself) so If anyone out there finds out a better approach for anything I write or correction welcome for commenting on the posts so all can benefit too.

This series will start with introductory posts that are needed to understand the architecture and object model of sharepoint, these introduction points are all over the web and blogs of sharepoint pros, I will write them again in my wa, then proceed with some basic development then advanced, I don't have an outline for the posts I am gonna write I have some ideas any reader is welcome to add in comments any topic related to sharepoint development wants me to write about, hoping this series be useful like my older one Design Time Support of Custom Controls, so wish me luck.