How do I install and use the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit in my .NET 3.5 web applications?

Question

How do I get it to work with my project?

http://ajax.asp.net/

http://www.codeplex.com/AjaxControlToolkit/

Answer 1

Install the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit

1. Download the ZIP file AjaxControlToolkit-Framework3.5SP1-DllOnly.zip from the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit Releases page of the CodePlex web site.

2. Copy the contents of this zip file directly into the bin directory of your web site.

Update web.config

1. Put this in your web.config under the <controls> section:

   <?xml version="1.0"?>
   <configuration>
       ...
       <system.web>
           ...
           <pages>
               ...
               <controls>
                   ...
                   <add tagPrefix="ajaxtoolkit"
                       namespace="AjaxControlToolkit"
                       assembly="AjaxControlToolKit"/>
               </controls>
           </pages>
           ...
       </system.web>
       ...
   </configuration>
   

Setup Visual Studio

1. Right-click on the Toolbox and select "Add Tab", and add a tab called "AJAX Control Toolkit"

2. Inside that tab, right-click on the Toolbox and select "Choose Items..."

3. When the "Choose Toolbox Items" dialog appears, click the "Browse..." button. Navigate to your project's "bin" folder. Inside that folder, select "AjaxControlToolkit.dll" and click OK. Click OK again to close the Choose Items Dialog.

You can now use the controls in your web sites!

Answer 2

you will also need to have a asp:ScriptManager control on every page that you want to use ajax controls on. you should be able to just drag the scriptmanager over from your toolbox one the toolkit is installed following Zack's instructions.

Answer 3

If you are using MasterPages and Content pages in your app - you also have the option of putting the ScriptManager on the Masterpage and then every ContentPage that uses that MasterPage will NOT need a script manager added. If you need some of the special configurations of the ScriptManager - like javascript file references - you can use a ScriptManagerProxy control on the content page that needs it.

Answer 4

I have included it as written, but when dragging controls from the Toolbox, they still get a "green line" below the ajaxtoolkit tag - and the intellisense does not popup as expected... is there anything else needed?