ASP.

NET AJAX Overview

Introduction

• Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX enables you to quickly create Web pages that include a rich
user experience with responsive and familiar user interface (UI) elements. ASP.NET
AJAX provides client-script libraries that incorporate cross-browser ECMAScript
(JavaScript) and dynamic HTML (DHTML) technologies, and it integrates them with the
ASP.NET 2.0 server-based development platform. By using ASP.NET AJAX, you can
improve the user experience and the efficiency of your Web applications.

Why Use ASP.NET AJAX?

• ASP.NET AJAX enables you to build rich Web applications that have many advantages
over Web applications that are completely server-based. ASP.NET AJAX applications
offer:

• Improved efficiency by performing significant parts of a Web page's processing in

the browser.
• Familiar UI elements such as progress indicators, tooltips, and pop-up windows.
• Partial-page updates that refresh only the parts of the Web page that have
changed.
• Client integration with ASP.NET application services for forms authentication and
user profiles.
• Integration of data from different sources through calls to Web services.
• A framework that simplifies customization of server controls to include client
capabilities.
• Support for the most popular and generally used browsers, which includes
Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari.

ASP.NET AJAX Server Architecture

• The ASP.NET AJAX server components consist of ASP.NET Web server controls and
components to manage the UI and flow of an application, and to manage serialization,
validation, control extensibility, and so on. There are also ASP.NET Web services that
enable you to access ASP.NET application services for forms authentication and user
profiles.

ASP.NET AJAX Server Controls

• The ASP.NET AJAX server controls consist of server and client code that integrate to
produce AJAX-like behavior. The following list describes the most frequently used
ASP.NET AJAX server controls.

ScriptManager

Manages script resources for client components, partial-page rendering, localization,

globalization, and custom user scripts. The ScriptManager control is required in order
to use the UpdatePanel, UpdateProgress, and Timer controls.

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UpdatePanel
• Enables you to refresh selected parts of the page, instead of refreshing the whole page
by using a synchronous postback.

UpdateProgress

Provides status information about partial-page updates in UpdatePanel controls.

Timer
• Performs postbacks at defined intervals. You can use the Timer control to post the
whole page, or use it together with the UpdatePanel control to perform partial-page
updates at a defined interval.

ASP.NET AJAX Server Control Extensibility

• ASP.NET AJAX enables you to create custom ASP.NET AJAX server controls that include
client behaviors. For more information, see the tutorials in ASP.NET AJAX Extensibility
and the Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit.

ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit

• The ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit is a collection of samples and components that show
you some of the experiences you can create with rich client ASP.NET AJAX controls and
extenders. The Control Toolkit provides samples and a powerful SDK to make it simple
to create and reuse custom controls and extenders. You can download the ASP.NET
AJAX Control Toolkit from the ASP.NET Ajax Web site. The ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit
is community supported.

System Requirements for Installation

Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX requires the following software.

Supported Operating Systems

• Windows Server 2003

• Windows XP Home Edition

• Windows XP Professional

• Windows Vista

• Any Windows operating system version (including Windows 2000) that supports the
Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0. Note that support will be limited to the terms of
support for that platform.

Required Software

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 • The .NET Framework 2.0 or version 3.0.

• Internet Explorer 5.01 or later.

Optional Software

• Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Web Developer Express Edition

Installing Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX

Follow these steps to install ASP.NET AJAX.

To install Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX

1. Make sure that you are logged in with an account that has Administrator rights.

If your account does not have Administrator rights, the installation process displays the error
"The system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation."

2. Uninstall any earlier versions of ASP.NET AJAX. If the installation process finds an earlier
version on your computer, it will stop.

You can remove earlier versions with the Add or Remove Programs application in Control
Panel.

3. Download the ASPAJAXExtSetup.msi installation package from the ASP.NET AJAX Downloads
Web site.

4. To install ASP.NET AJAX from the Windows interface, double-click ASPAJAXExtSetup.msi in

Windows Explorer.

By default, the .msi file is installed in the following location:

drive:\..\Program Files\Microsoft ASP.NET\ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Extensions\v1.0.nnnn.

5. To install ASP.NET AJAX from the command line, execute the following command at a
command prompt:

msiexec /i ASPAJAXExtSetup.msi [/q] [/log <log file name>]

[INSTALLDIR=<installation

6. Specify the /q option to perform the installation without user prompts. You can optionally
provide an installation path and a file name for logging. If you do not provide an installation
path, the default installation path is used.

7. If you want to add the ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Futures CTP, download and install it from the
ASP.NET AJAX Downloads Web site.

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 8.If you want to add the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit, download and install it from
ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit Web site.

Using ASP.NET AJAX with Visual Studio

• If you have Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 installed on your computer, the installation
process installs templates for AJAX-enabled Web site projects. It also installs an
assembly (AJAXExtensionToolbox.dll) that extends the Visual Studio toolbox. When you
create a new AJAX-enabled Web site by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, the
template automatically includes the Web.config file that includes the elements required
for ASP.NET AJAX components.

• To add ASP.NET AJAX components to an existing site, modify the Web.config file in the
Web application by using the configuration values from the sample Web.config file in the
installation path. For more information about ASP.NET AJAX configuration values, see
Configuring ASP.NET AJAX.

Using ASP.NET AJAX Without Visual Studio

• If Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 is installed on a computer without Microsoft

Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Web Developer Express Edition, the ASP.NET
AJAX installation process adds the System.Web.Extensions.dll assembly that contains
server components to the global assembly cache. It also copies a sample Web.config file
to the installation path. It does not install templates for AJAX-enabled Web site projects
or install the assembly for extending the Visual Studio toolbox.

• You can use ASP.NET AJAX in a Web application by adding the sample Web.config file
from the installation folder to the Web site directory. You can also modify the
Web.config file in an existing Web application by using the configuration values from the
sample Web.config file. For more information about the ASP.NET AJAX configuration
values, see Configuring ASP.NET AJAX.

Installing the Microsoft AJAX Library on Non-Windows Environments

• You do not have to build a Web site on a Windows-based environment to use the client
framework provided by the Microsoft AJAX Library. The Microsoft AJAX Library consists
of JavaScript files and will work with any browsers that can run JavaScript code.

note

The Microsoft AJAX Library is installed with the full installation. You do not have to install the
Microsoft AJAX Library separately if you have completed the full installation.

To install Microsoft AJAX Library

1. Download the MicrosoftAJAXLibrary.zip package from the ASP.NET AJAX Downloads Web site.

2. Unzip the MicrosoftAJAXLibrary.zip package.

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3. Copy the JavaScript files to the Web site.

Browser Compatibility and Security Settings for AJAX-Enabled ASP.NET Sites

Introduction

• ASP.NET AJAX is compatible with most modern browsers. It runs with the default
security settings for these browsers.

Browser and Operating System Compatibility

Users can view your AJAX-enabled ASP.NET sites by using most modern browsers. The following
lists show compatible browser versions and operating systems.

Supported Browsers

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later versions.

Mozilla Firefox version 1.5 or later versions.

Opera version 9.0 or later versions.

Apple Safari version 2.0 or later versions.

Supported Operating Systems

Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed.

Microsoft Vista.

Apple OSX (Intel architecture only).

Security and Privacy Settings

• The following table lists required browser security and privacy settings for both user
browsing and site development. In all cases, the recommended settings are the default
settings for that browser.

Internet Explorer 6 Make sure that the Internet Zone in the Security Zones settings is set
to Medium.

Internet Explorer 7 Make sure that the Internet Zone in the Security Zones settings is set
to Medium-High.

FireFox 1.5 or later In the Tools menu under Options, make sure that Enable JavaScript is
versions selected.

Opera 9.0 or later In the Tools menu under Quick preferences, make sure that Enable
versions JavaScript is selected.

Safari 2.0 or later Click Safari, Preferences, Security, and then Web Content and make

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versions sure that Enable JavaScript is selected.
note

If browser security and privacy settings are set too high, JavaScript might be disabled. In that
case, the browser cannot run the client-side functionality of an AJAX-enabled ASP.NET
application. For example, an AJAX-enabled ASP.NET page would display; however a UpdatePanel
control on that page would be unable to execute asynchronous postbacks for partial page
rendering.