A mechanism for converting control types in a user interface (UI) development framework. The framework includes a UI generation component that facilitates the development of the UI in which control types will be employed and bound to data of a data source. In communication with the generation component is a conversion component that facilitates changing the default control choice immediately after creation, or for evaluating the UI, and later choosing to change the UI control choice. The conversion component employs a service to inspect all controls on a particular form in the designer, and advertises a "Change To" or similar smart tag item for that control, if the control supports data binding and conversions. Selection of the control type or control group view creates the UI of the user's choice, and intelligently maps all control properties and data bindings across the conversion.