Advanced ASP.NET AJAX Server Controls: For .NET Framework 3.5

ASP.NET AJAX server controls can encapsulate even the most powerful AJAX functionality, helping you build more elegant, maintainable, and scalable applications. This is the firstcomprehensive,code-rich guide to custom ASP.NET AJAX server controls for experienced ASP.NET developers. Unlike other books on ASP.NET AJAX, this book focuses solely on server control development and reflects the significant improvements in ASP.NET 3.5 AJAX and the latest Visual Studio 2008 features for streamlining AJAX development.

Adam Calderon and Joel Rumerman first review the core Microsoft AJAX Library and JavaScript techniques needed to support a rich client-side experience. Next, they build upon these techniques showing how to create distributable AJAX-enabled controls that include rich browser-independent JavaScript client-side functionality. The authors thoroughly explain both the JavaScript and .NET aspects of control development and how these two distinct environments come together to provide a foundation for building a rich user experience using ASP.NET AJAX.

• Creating object oriented cross browser JavaScript that supports .NET style classes, interfaces, inheritance and method overloading

• Working with components, behaviors, and controls and how they relate to DOM elements

• Understand  Sys.Application and the part it plays in object creation, initialization, and events in the Microsoft AJAX Library

• Build Extender and Script controls that provide integrated script generation for their corresponding client-side counterparts

• Localizing ASP.NET AJAX controls including client script

• Understanding ASP.NET AJAX client and server communication architecture and the new support for Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

• Using ASP.NET AJAX Application Services and creating a custom application service to provide an integrated approach to communication from the client to the server

• Designing controls for a partial postback environment

• Understanding the AJAX Control Toolkit architecture and the many features it provides

• Developing highly interactive controls using the AJAX Control Toolkit

• Use the AJAX Control Toolkit’s base, support, and designer classes

• Use the AJAX Control Toolkit to build new extender controls

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Foreword

Preface

Part I: Client Code

Chapter 1: Programming with JavaScript

Chapter 2: Microsoft AJAX Library Programming

Part II: Controls

Chapter 3: Components

Chapter 4: Sys.Application

Chapter 5: Adding Client Capabilities to Server Controls

Chapter 6: ASP.NET AJAX Localization

Part III: Communication

Chapter 7: ASP.NET AJAX Communication Architecture

Chapter 8: Application Services

Chapter 9: Control Development in a Partial Postback Environment

Part IV: AJAX Control Toolkit

Chapter 10: ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit Architecture

Chapter 11: Adding Client Capabilities to Server Controls Using the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit

Appendix A: JavaScript in Visual Studio 2008

Appendix B: Validating Method Parameters

Appendix C: ASP.NET Handlers and Modules

Appendix D: Client Error Handling Code

Index

ASP.NET AJAX server controls can encapsulate even the most powerful AJAX functionality, helping you build more elegant, maintainable, and scalable applications. This is the firstcomprehensive,code-rich guide to custom ASP.NET AJAX server controls for experienced ASP.NET developers. Unlike other books on ASP.NET AJAX, this book focuses solely on server control development and reflects the significant improvements in ASP.NET 3.5 AJAX and the latest Visual Studio 2008 features for streamlining AJAX development.

Adam Calderon and Joel Rumerman first review the core Microsoft AJAX Library and JavaScript techniques needed to support a rich client-side experience. Next, they build upon these techniques showing how to create distributable AJAX-enabled controls that include rich browser-independent JavaScript client-side functionality. The authors thoroughly explain both the JavaScript and .NET aspects of control development and how these two distinct environments come together to provide a foundation for building a rich user experience using ASP.NET AJAX.

• Creating object oriented cross browser JavaScript that supports .NET style classes, interfaces, inheritance and method overloading

• Working with components, behaviors, and controls and how they relate to DOM elements

• Understand  Sys.Application and the part it plays in object creation, initialization, and events in the Microsoft AJAX Library

• Build Extender and Script controls that provide integrated script generation for their corresponding client-side counterparts

• Localizing ASP.NET AJAX controls including client script

• Understanding ASP.NET AJAX client and server communication architecture and the new support for Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

• Using ASP.NET AJAX Application Services and creating a custom application service to provide an integrated approach to communication from the client to the server

• Designing controls for a partial postback environment

• Understanding the AJAX Control Toolkit architecture and the many features it provides

• Developing highly interactive controls using the AJAX Control Toolkit

• Use the AJAX Control Toolkit’s base, support, and designer classes

• Use the AJAX Control Toolkit to build new extender controls

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Foreword

Preface

Part I: Client Code

Chapter 1: Programming with JavaScript

Chapter 2: Microsoft AJAX Library Programming

Part II: Controls

Chapter 3: Components

Chapter 4: Sys.Application

Chapter 5: Adding Client Capabilities to Server Controls

Chapter 6: ASP.NET AJAX Localization

Part III: Communication

Chapter 7: ASP.NET AJAX Communication Architecture

Chapter 8: Application Services

Chapter 9: Control Development in a Partial Postback Environment

Part IV: AJAX Control Toolkit

Chapter 10: ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit Architecture

Chapter 11: Adding Client Capabilities to Server Controls Using the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit

Appendix A: JavaScript in Visual Studio 2008

Appendix B: Validating Method Parameters

Appendix C: ASP.NET Handlers and Modules

Appendix D: Client Error Handling Code

Index

Adam Calderon is a C# MVP and the Application Development Practice Lead at InterKnowlogy. He is an accomplished software developer, author, teacher, and speaker with more than 14 years of experience designing and developing solutions on the Microsoft platform. His involvement with ASP.NET AJAX began in late 2005 with his participation in the ASP.NET ATLAS First Access program and later as a member of the UI Server Frameworks Advisory Council. Adam was one of the fortunate few who were able to work on a production application that utilized ASP.NET AJAX in its alpha form and experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations of working in “beta land” on this exciting technology.

Author Blog:

blogs.interknowlogy.com/adamcalderon/

Joel Rumerman is a Senior .NET Developer at the CoStar Group, where he develops ASP.NET applications to support the company’s commercial real estate information business. He is an adept software developer with more than 8 years of experience developing .NET applications and is active in the San Diego .NET community as an author and speaker. Joel has been working with ASP.NET AJAX since late 2005 when he started work on a large-scale application for a worldwide independent software vendor. This initial entry into the ASP.NET AJAX world provided him invaluable experience as he worked closely with Microsoft as a member of the ATLAS First Access program and participated in a Strategic Design Review of the technology. Joel has gone on to implement many more solutions using ASP.NET AJAX, including a Virtual Earth mash-up that maps commercial real estate properties.

Author Blog:

seejoelprogram.wordpress.com