ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Extensions 1.0

[RobDog888]

Has anyone tried out the extensions yet? Even though its a 1.0 release is it functional enough to use on a production website?

It looks logical that you must have the extension framework installed before you install the control toolbox. Shouldnt they have made it a single SDK or something?

Any Pros/Cons on this?

Thanks

[RobDog888]

Here is the link to the downloads in case you are wondering where it is available from.

http://ajax.asp.net/downloads/default.aspx?tabid=47

[bgmacaw]

I've been tinkering with it a bit recently, just to see what we might be able to use in an upcoming website enhancement. I've coded some things like some of the toolkit controls in JavaScript, most notably Tabs and CascadingDropDowns, and it was rather complex. If the Toolkit simplifies developing this kind of UI code it is very worthwhile.

[RobDog888]

I like allot of the extended and new controls. They will definately be used in my current web project but before I can do it I need to verify that adding the extra framework will not be a problem and how the major browsers are handling these controls (do they have issues with them).

Also, what is the clients browser has JS disabled? Will they loose any functionality etc.

Thanks


Edit: WOOT! 38,000 Posts

[bgmacaw]

They claim to have tested the controls with IE6/7, FireFox, Safari, and Opera although you'll get the best results on IE (what a surprise). I'm not too concerned with this right now since our website is currently IE only, although this may change in the upgrade project. They have documented which browsers have problems with certain controls though.

I don't think AJAX will work if the user has JavaScript turned off. I don't know if the controls themselves handle a lower functionality level or if you're supposed to deal with that yourself.

[RobDog888]

Do you have a link for the tested bowsers and/or anything else that I could read?

Thanks again as it seems no one else is up on this topic I guess.

[bgmacaw]

Sorry I don't have a link. I remember seeing something about it when reading through release notes on the CodePlex site. I don't think it was all in one place either. It was kind of scattered through the documents.

[kayos]

Well, as far as I am on my current project using both the ASP.NET AJAX UpdatePanel and some controls out of the AJAX Control Toolkit it seems to work just fine in IE7 and FF1.5+

Not too sure about IE6 though. I've only found very few quirks for the Toolkit, but no quirks on the UpdatePanel what so ever.

[RobDog888]

Thanks kayos. I am mostly concerned about issues with the controls and stuff but good to know when I come across issues in the toolkit that its not just me. I think Im going to have to host a test site myself. Hmm,...

[kayos]

That would be a good idea..

Here is an example of a work around I had to use for the Toolkit:

I wanted that calendar, but without a textbox to enter the date into (just have the calendar pop out on an image when clicked). So I started as any of us would and put a hidden field on the form to put attach the calendar extender to. NOPE! You can only attach a calendar extender to a text box. Ok, phase 2. Put a textbox on the form and set the display:none. Well, now when the calendar opens it is way up in the left hand corner of the browser.

So all in all I had to make the texbos height:1px;width:1px;border:none. So I have a 1px visible (but hidden to the eye) textbox on the form that the calendar can pop out under.

[RobDog888]

Well it does kind of make sense I guess since its not displayed there are no coordinates for the popup to position to. They should have made it possible though.

Nice tip