Hands-on ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit
In the world of web development, developers have always tried to achieve a rich user interface that blurred the lines between thick and thin client applications. The ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit empowers developers to create rich interfaces with easy-to-use controls. However, before jumping right into the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit, take a closer look at how the industry got here.
Many different technologies over the years (or collections of technologies) have assisted developers in achieving this goal, but there is always room for improvement. One of the major issues with these previous aids is that they require users to download and install add-ins that run inside a user’s browser. A few examples that fit into this group include Adobe (previously Macromedia) Flash, Sun Microsystems Java (Applets), and Microsoft’s ActiveX. Some of these technologies, namely, ActiveX, were specifically targeted toward certain browsers, thereby limiting their adaptation. ActiveX specifically targeted Internet Explorer, but it is possible to get it to run with other browsers after complicated tweaks and hacks. Even with a wide distribution, users or corporate policies often disable these technologies for fear of security issues. The fear of add-ins spawns from the power that they provide coupled with an unsecure environment. As you all know, the Internet is not even close to being secure; otherwise there would be no firewalls and other protections. Oftentimes, ...
