Best AJAX Framework

Question

In Asp.Net web forms, what is the best chioce for providing a righ UI (a la Ajax)? I've been using the built in Ajax support that MS ships in addition to the Ajax Control Toolkit until now, but is there something better and/or easier?

Answer 1

I've been happy with ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit.

Especially:

• Accordion
• Calendar
• FilteredTextBox
• MaskedEdit
• PasswordStrength
• Tabs
• ValidatorCallout

However, these aren't really AJAX, they're just plain client-side JavaScript.

The ASP.NET UpdatePanel is real AJAX and works great out-of-the-box.

Answer 2

Spry - so long as you've got nothing against Adobe products - is a very full-featured toolkit. Worth checking out.

Answer 3

I use javascript / jquery to send a web request call to a ASMX webservice and get the data manually. Did a quick search and found this article - http://encosia.com/2008/03/27/using-jquery-to-consume-aspnet-json-web-services/

Answer 4

@Zack,

That's interesting. I would invert the definition and say that the stuff that's specifically designed to work well with combined code on client and server side is real AJAX, whereas the UpdatePanel is "poor man's AJAH".

@Chris,

There is something fundamentally brain-altering about jQuery. Even if you don't end up using it, you should at least look at it. Most frameworks feel like "stuff designed by non-Javascript OO developers", whereas jQuery feels like it was designed by someone steeped in the power of Javascript.

Answer 5

ExtJS - Very powerful, full-featured javascript framework. We are using it to extend the standard .Net controls. We use Ajax.Net, a small, free library for our async calls to the server.

Answer 6

@Brad

I've just begun looking at jQuery actually. I especially like the community support aspect of it (not that ajax control toolkit doesn't have the same). Thanks for the vote of confidence in that technology.

Answer 7

jQuery is, well, the shizznit, IMHO. After I bought "jQuery In Action", I realized there was no going back. There are a ton of ASP.NET developers (including those behind this very site) out there who use it if you are trying to figure out how to get rocking & rolling, right away.

I would check out the following blogs:

1. Rick Strahl's Web Log
   
2. The ever talented Scott Guthrie mentioned Matt Berseth
   
3. And my personal favorite Dave Ward's blog Encosia. (I think this is his StackOverflow profile.)

However, of course there are plenty of other libraries out there. In the end I really like JS Libraries because it frequently comes down to code re-use. Don't roll the same JS functionality from scratch over-and-over. Also, most of these community previewed products have had a helluva lot more eyes on the code than anything you roll yourself (probably).

With all of that said, I also highly suggest checking out these frameworks:

1. Ext JS
   
2. MochiKit
   
3. Also check out Omar Al Zabir's (founder of PageFlakes.com) CodeProject article and his book for cool stuff you can do with the ASP.NET AJAX Framework.

I believe Ext JS comes out of the box with ColdFusion installations these days, but I have been happy with the few .NET projects I dropped it into as well.

Answer 8

Undoubtedly JQuery, from what I've come to learn.

Check out the JQuery UI

Answer 9

The answer depends a lot on what specific features you're looking for. YUI (Yahoo's library) specializes in really rich UI controls. If that's your primary concern, it's definitely worth a look.

Answer 10

JQuery for basic DOM manipulation, and ExtJS for UI. You can't much simpler than JQuery's chainable syntax, and the ExtJS component set is one of the largest most comprehensive consistent component sets you can get, and is extensible. The site is a fantastic resource, with an API browser and several great examples, plus a very active forum. Plus, I know there's a book coming out in the very near future.

Answer 11

Your question is kind of like; "what is the most beautiful color out there"... ;)

But I think most people agree on that ASP.NET AJAX is your WORST bet...

Anything is better than ASP.NET AJAX...!

I'd have a look at Ra-Ajax if I were you, but then again I am biased (work with it myself - founder in fact)

Answer 12

I use the YUI when I want to work with other programmers. It is well supported, well documented, and well supported. It's a little on the verbose side, but I tend to like that in group projects anyway (personal preference).

For things I'm coding for myself and only myself, with an eye towards spikin: jQuery. It's fun, short, and sweet.