ASP.NET: Making something similar to Facebook application bar

Question

I am a beginning ASP.NET programmer. I am just wondering if there is any built-in control that is close to an application bar at the bottom of Facebook, or is such a function only available through the use of JavaScript/AJAX?

Answer 1

I imagine you mean this: Screenshot: http://screencast.com/t/kqFPArcmYQ Video: http://screencast.com/t/X6IczIIv

If that's the case, no, it cannot be done with ASP.NET alone. You are correct in assuming it would require javascript, and possibly some AJAX to make those asynchronous calls.

You should look into javascript libraries, such as jQuery & jQuery UI, or MooTools, etc. Those give you a breadth of tools and plugins to create wonderful/dynamic UIs.

http://jquery.com/ (jQuery UI Demos)

http://mootools.net/ (MooTools Demos)

Check out the demos on their pages, to see if those will fit your idea. You can definitely build the core of the menu in ASP.Net, and then use a javascript library to get the dynamic feel that you're looking for.

Hope that helps a little bit.

Answer 2

Remember that ASP.NET is server-side, so it controls all processing that takes place before the web page even reaches the user. For functionality like what you're talking about, you need browser-side voodoo like Javascript. So...

1. Javascript is practically required.
2. The only other feasible alternative would be Flash.
3. XML would not be necessary (or even necessarily desirable).

Don't fall into the trap of calling all asynchronous, Javascript-driven behavior "AJAX", because much of it isn't.

Answer 3

I just built something like this in ASP.NET. I recently posted a blog on how to do it. Check out how to build a Facebook Application Bar in ASP.NET.

I used two controls from ComponentOne to help out, the C1Menu control and the C1ToolTip control