Contents of AJAX booklet

Chapter 1: Introduction to AJAX

This chapter is an overview of AJAX and how it works.

1. Overview
2. How Asp.Net applications work?
3. How Asp.Net AJAX applications work?
4. Key Technologies behind AJAX
5. Asp.Net AJAX Architecture
6. Microsoft Ajax library
7. Server side extensions
8. How does AJAX work?

ASP.Net and ASP.Net AJAX applications work differently. In the former, browsers make a request for a page the server then processes the web page, and returns the output to the browser. The browser interprets this output and displays the html contents for the user. In AJAX web applications, postback is asynchronous and when data is requested from the server by the client it is loaded in the background without interfering with the display and behavior of the existing page. AJAX allows web pages to request small bits of information from the server instead of whole pages. This capability brings with it a host of benefits - how the capability works and the list of benefits it brings is explained.

Chapter 2: Implementing AJAX

This chapter introduces a set of concepts, which can also be thought of as building blocks, using which we can get started with AJAX application development.

1. AJAX Postback
2. UpdatePanel control
3. ScriptManager control
4. Creating a simple ASP.NET page with UpdatePanel control
5. Optimization Techniques for Ajax Postback
6. How to control the Refresh of the UpdatePanel control
7. UpdateMode property
8. ChildrenAsTriggers property
9. Using Triggers
10. Partial Page Update - A better user experience
11. ASP.Net Client page life cycle
12. AJAX Client page life cycle
13. Application Object
14. Important Events of Application Object
15. Working with PageRequest Manager Class events

AJAX allows partial page update resulting in a better user experience. It is the UpdatePanel control along with the ScriptManager which plays an important part in implementing AJAX client life cycle. Learning about these important components this is essential if you want to implement AJAX in a real world application, which is what you will do next.

Chapter 3: Programming the JounalVoucher of a web accounting application using AJAX

This chapter takes you through all the steps of programming an AJAX application using UpdatePanel control and ScriptManager control. This chapter also teaches how to program client page life cycle events.

1. Java Script used for programming the journal voucher
2. Add handlers to events raised by Application Object
3. Get the instance of the PageRequestManager class
4. Purpose of each PageRequestManager class events in journal voucher
5. Add handlers to events raised by DOM Object
6. Designing the Journal voucher
7. Using the ScriptManager control
8. Using the Update Panel control
9. Partial-page rendering with updatepanels
10. Using UpdateProgress control in Jounal voucher
11. HTML Code
12. Application logic code (code behind file)
13. Reducing the Viewstate caused by using rich controls like DatagridView in an AJAX ASP.Net page
14. Server and Client side events

The real world example includes a data entry form (journal voucher) and implementing AJAX to speed up the working of the application. You will see for yourself the correct and proper way of using Javascript and adding handlers raised by Application Object and DOM objects

Chapter 4: AJAX Application Programming using Client Script

This chapter teaches you how to design and program the client side of an application using JavaScript.

1. Creating a Web Service
2. Invoking a Web Service from JavaScript
3. Retrieve and display complex data from database on a server using Javascript
4. Write Callback functions
5. Page Methods