Is there a way to add client methods to ASP.NET user controls?

Question

I recently discovered the client-side methods of some of the controls in the Microsoft ajax control toolkit. For instance, with the TabContainer, I can do something like this:

$find('tabsEditJob').get_tabs()[1].set_enabled(true);

without having to resort to server side code. Is there a way to do this in your own custom user controls without too much work?

UPDATE: I was going to implement show and hide methods: although setting display to none would probably work just fine, they would prefer an explicit method. I know that the ajax control toolkit controls have a set_visible method. Do user controls get this too?

Answer 1

Hey,

The approach the ajax control toolkit is a managed approach, so you should check out this walkthrough as a good overview of what it is and how you create it: http://www.asp.net/learn/Ajax-Control-Toolkit/tutorial-49-cs.aspx

There is both a server-side and client-side piece; it can be confusing at first, but it isn't that difficult to setup once you are used to it. But it does require some reading up on it first and a some considerable planning.

I've built a few of my own, and you have to think about all the interations you want to include and at what point certain pieces of code should run, all of the events, etc.

HTH.