ASP.NET AJAX 4.0 Preview 5 available on CodePlex

Microsoft has released ASP.NET AJAX 4.0 Preview 5 on CodePlex
From the site:

ASP.NET AJAX is a pure client-side JavaScript library that enables you to build Ajax applications that work with all modern web browsers. By taking advantage of ASP.NET AJAX client controls and templates, you can build database-driven web applications that execute entirely in the browser.

ASP.NET AJAX supports the following features:
Client templates that can be used to format database data in the browser
Client controls such as the DataView control
Client DataContext component that supports change tracking and identity management
ADO.NET Data Services support
WCF and ASMX Web service support
JSONP support
Observable pattern for plain JavaScript objects
Live Bindings
Command Bubbling
Support for managing complex links and associations between entities from multiple entity sets or tables


In this release, they have added support for the following features:
Dynamic and recursive templates
Binding Converters
Compatibility with the ASP.NET UpdatePanel

More info including the download link is available on CodePlex: http://aspnet.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=32770

Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Templates for Visual Studio 2008 Released

Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Templates for Visual Studio 2008 Released.


This release contains project templates for using Visual Studio 2008 or Visual Web Developer 2008 to create new web sites and web applications with ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Extensions 1.0 features. The project templates contain specific references to assemblies in .NET Framework 2.0 and ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Extensions 1.0.

Download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5c7df430-1c34-40d2-b6ec-81353b5fcf2e&displaylang=en

ASP.NET MVC CTP Available AS Part Of Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview

The ASP.NET 3.5 Extensions Preview is a new release that provides new functionality being added to ASP.NET 3.5 and ADO.NET in 2008. This release delivers a set of new features that target:

Enabling High Productivity Data Scenarios - including MVC, Entity Framework, ADO.NET Data Services and dynamic data
Supporting Test Driven Development - including a powerful and extensible MVC framework
Creating the best server for Rich Clients - including Ajax history support and Silverlight controls for ASP.NET

What’s in the Extensions Release?
ASP.NET MVC

ASP.NET MVC provides model-view-controller (MVC) support to the existing ASP.NET 3.5 runtime, which enables developers to more easily take advantage of this design pattern. Benefits include the ability to achieve and maintain a clear separation of concerns, as well as facilitate test driven development (TDD).

The ASP.NET MVC Toolkit provides HTML rendering helpers and dynamic data support for MVC.

ASP.NET Dynamic Data

ASP.NET Dynamic Data helps developers build a fully customizable, data-driven app quickly. It provides a rich scaffolding framework that allows rapid data driven development without writing code, yet it is easily extendible using the traditional ASP.NET programming model.

ASP.NET AJAX

New additions to ASP.NET AJAX include support for managing browser history (Back button support).

ADO.NET Entity Framework

ADO.NET Entity Framework is a new modeling framework that enables developers to define a conceptual model of a database schema that closely aligns to a real world view of the information. Benefits include easier to understand and easier to maintain application code that is shielded from underlying database schema changes.

ADO.NET Data Services

ADO.NET Data Services provide new services that find, manipulate and deliver data over the web using simple URIs. Benefits include an easy and flexible way to access data over the web, while enabling the separation of presentation and data access code.

Silverlight Controls for ASP.NET

You can integrate the rich behavior of Microsoft Silverlight into your Web application by using two new ASP.NET server controls: a MediaPlayer server control that enables easy integration of media sources such as audio (WMA) and video (WMV) into your Web application, and a Silverlight server control that allows an ASP.NET page to reference both XAML objects and their event handlers.


Download it here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=105029

VS2008 Training Kit: Introduction to ASP.NET AJAX

This session was presented by Steve Marx and is from the Visual Studio 2008 training kit available from http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=7602397.

In this session, you'll learn how to use ASP.NET AJAX to build a richer, more responsive user experience. Topics include partial rendering, web services, structured scripting, and integration with Silverlight.


Download it here: http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=359706#359706

VS2008 Training Kit: Building Web Applications with Visual Studio 2008

This session was presented by Ryan Dunn and is from the Visual Studio 2008 training kit available from http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=7602397.

This session covers the new design and development features in Visual Studio 2008 for creating rich web applications. Topics include the new CSS and HTML design tools, much improved Javascript Intellisense and debugging support, and the new ASP.NET 3.5 controls supporting LINQ and AJAX.

Download it here: http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=359711#359711

ASP.NET AJAX in Action

Title: ASP.NET AJAX in Action
Authors: Alessandro Gallo, David Barkol, and Rama Krishna Vavilala
Published: August, 2007
Pages: 576 pages
ISBN: 1-933988-14-2


Ajax revolutionized how users interact with web pages. Gone are frustrating page refreshes, lost scroll positions, intermittent interactions, and flat, boring pages. Instead we have a new generation of fast, rich, and intuitive web applications. The ASP.NET AJAX framework puts the power of Ajax into the hands of Microsoft ASP.NET developers. ASP.NET AJAX, formerly called Atlas, is a new free framework from Microsoft designed to easily add Ajax features to ASP.NET applications. With this technology, ASP.NET developers can easily build more interactive and highly-personalized web applications that work across all most popular browsers.

ASP.NET AJAX in Action is a fast-paced, example-rich tutorial designed for ASP.NET web developers and written by ASP.NET AJAX experts Alessandro “Garbin” Gallo, David Barkol, and Rama Krishna Vavilala. This book introduces you to Ajax applications and to the ASP.NET AJAX technology. Beginners will appreciate the clear explanations of key ideas and terminology. Intermediate and advanced ASP.NET developers will find a no-nonsense learning source and well-organized reference.

ASP.NET AJAX in Action offers a rich set of examples and meticulous explanations. The extensive code samples are accompanied by accurate and rigorous explanations of the concepts behind development with ASP.NET AJAX. In this book, you will discover how to use

Microsoft Ajax Library
Partial rendering with UpdatePanels
Advanced client and server techniques
Ajax Control Toolkit

If you are a web developer looking to bring your web pages to life and to enhance the user experience, this book is for you.

ASP.NET AJAX in Action will give you with the knowledge and tools you need to more easily craft the next generation of Ajax applications. With the help of the Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX framework, Ajax development has never been easier and more instinctive for both client-script developers and ASP.NET developers alike.

WHAT'S INSIDE:
Lots of code examples
Deep coverage of ASP.NET AJAX Extensions
Covers the ASP.NET AJAX Futures CTP
Partial page rendering with UpdatePanels
Advanced client and server techniques

About the Authors
Alessandro “Garbin” Gallo is a Microsoft MVP in the Visual ASP/ASP.NET category and has been an active contributor for the Ajax Control Toolkit project. As a .NET developer/consultant with a primary focus on ASP.NET application design and development, Alessandro has been developing with ASP.NET AJAX since the very first CTP. Notably, he won the Grand Prize at the Mash-it-up with ASP.NET AJAX contest held by Microsoft in 2006.

David Barkol is a Principal Consultant for Neudesic, one of Microsoft's leading .NET professional services firms and a Gold Certified Partner. At Neudesic David specializes in providing custom .NET solutions that leverage technologies such as ASP.NET, Web Services, Windows Forms, SQL Server, and C#. He is an MCSD in .NET and a member of the Microsoft ASP.NET Advisory Council. David resides in tropical La Palma, CA.

Rama Krishna Vavilala is a senior software developer/architect at 3C Software, a leading supplier of Cost Management Solutions. He has designed and developed three different versions of Impact:ECS™ (3C Softwares product suite). Currently, he is designing an Ajax-based web application using ASP.NET AJAX. This application will be a part of the Impact:ECS™ suite. He is a regular contributor at The Code Project and has contributed around 20 articles on wide ranging subjects


Table Of Contents

Part 1 ASP.NET AJAX basics
1 Introducing ASP.NET AJAX
1.1 What is Ajax?
1.2 ASP.NET AJAX architecture
1.3 ASP.NET AJAX in action
1.4 Summary

2 First steps with the Microsoft Ajax Library
2.1 A quick overview of the library
2.2 The Application model
2.3 Working with the DOM
2.4 Making development with JavaScript easier
2.5 Summary

3 JavaScript for Ajax developers
3.1 Working with objects
3.2 Working with JSON
3.3 Classes in JavaScript
3.4 Understanding inheritance
3.5 Understanding interfaces and enumerations
3.6 Using type reflection
3.7 Working with events
3.8 Summary

4 Exploring the Ajax server extensions
4.1 Ajax for ASP.NET developers
4.2 Enhancing an existing ASP.NET site
4.3 ScriptManager: the brains of an Ajax page
4.4 Partial-page updates
4.5 Summary

5 Making asynchronous network calls
5.1 Working with ASP.NET Web Services
5.2 The asynchronous communication layer
5.3 Consuming external Web Services
5.4 Using ASP.NET application services
5.5 Summary

6 Partial-page rendering with UpdatePanels
6.1 With great power comes great responsibility
6.2 Getting to know the UpdatePanel
6.3 Triggers
6.4 Advanced techniques
6.5 Live GridView filter
6.6 Summary

Part 2 Advanced techniques
7 Under the hood of the UpdatePanel
7.1 The PageRequestManager: the unsung hero
7.2 A client-side event viewer
7.3 UpdatePanel cookbook
7.4 Caveats and limitations
7.5 Summary

8 ASP.NET AJAX client components
8.1 The client component model
8.2 Working with client components
8.3 Behaviors
8.4 Controls
8.5 Summary

9 Building Ajax-enabled controls
9.1 Script descriptors
9.2 Introduction to Ajax-enabled controls
9.3 Extenders
9.4 Script controls
9.5 Summary

10 Developing with the Ajax Control Toolkit
10.1 A world of extenders
10.2 The Ajax Control Toolkit API
10.3 Animations
10.4 Summary

Part 3 ASP.NET AJAX Futures
11 XML Script
11.1 XML Script basics
11.2 Actions
11.3 Bindings
11.4 Summary

12 Dragging and dropping
12.1 The drag-and-drop engine
12.2 A drag-and-drop shopping cart
12.3 Summary

Part 4 Mastering ASP.NET AJAX
13 Implementing common Ajax patterns
13.1 Script versioning
13.2 Helpers, help me help you!
13.3 Logical navigation and unique URLs
13.4 Declarative data binding
13.5 Declarative widgets
13.6 Summary

Source code (12MB)
Sample Chapter 2
Sample Chapter 4
Amazon Link: ASP.NET AJAX in Action

ASP.NET Ajax Health Care Toolkit Controls Available From CodePlex

The Microsoft Health Common User Interface (CUI) provides Design Guidance and Toolkit controls which allow a new generation of safer, more usable and compelling health applications to be quickly and easily created. It is aimed at user interface designers, application developers and patient safety experts who want to find out more about the benefits of a standardized approach to user interface design.

Patient safety is a critical issue for healthcare organizations worldwide. Microsoft has been working with the National Health Service (NHS) in England to improve patient safety by creating a common look and feel for NHS systems through the NHS Common User Interface (CUI) Programme. This partnership initiative is in conjunction with the UK government agency called NHS Connecting for Health. Microsoft is now publishing the Design Guidance produced through this collaboration and providing the healthcare community with access to the associated Toolkit controls.

Toolkit Controls:
The Toolkit controls developed for this release conform to the recommendations contained in the Design Guidance documents. The Toolkit is a set of .NET 2.0 controls that help Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) build safe, consistent user interfaces for healthcare applications.
The Toolkit controls have been created for use in both ASP.NET AJAX applications and WinForms.NET. The web versions of the controls are based on the ASP.NET AJAX Toolkit.

Once installed into the Visual Studio® 2005 Toolbox, full IntelliSense and context-sensitive help are available to help developers understand how to use the various Toolkit control features. The Toolkit controls also support server-side and client-side data binding. In addition, the ASP.NET AJAX controls support CSS styles, allowing these controls to reflect the look and feel of the hosting application.

Examples of the controls that implement the Design Guidance in specific scenarios, and a demonstration of how different Toolkit controls can be combined and different styling applied can be found here.

Get it all here: http://www.codeplex.com/mscui

five new (free) ASP.NET AJAX videos on the asp.net site

Joe Stagner has recently posted five new (free) ASP.NET AJAX videos on www.asp.net:

#40 How Do I: Use the PagingBulletedList Extender Control?
(25 minutes, 31 seconds)
#41 How Do I: Use the NumericUpDown Extender Control?
(21 minutes, 50 seconds)
#42 How Do I: Use the ASP.NET AJAX History Control?
(8 minutes, 59 seconds)
#43 How Do I: Use the ASP.NET AJAX ValidatorCallout Extender?
(11 minutes, 6 seconds)
#44 How Do I: Implement the AJAX After Processing Pattern?
(5 minutes, 40 seconds)

ASP.NET Ajax Articles By Dan Wahlin

Dan Wahlin has written three ASP.NET Ajax articles for .NET Insight. Read them here:

Introduction to ASP.NET AJAX
ASP.NET AJAX Configuration
Working with Custom Scripts in ASP.NET AJAX