Chapter 14. ASP.NET AJAX Extensions (Atlas)

As Microsoft readied the release of .NET 2.0, the software giant announced that it had begun work on project known as "Atlas," an Ajax framework built to interface seamlessly with ASP.NET 2.0. Microsoft's original goal for Atlas was ambitious: a cross-browser framework for building Ajax-enabled applications with rich UI and connectivity to web services and/or an ASP.NET 2.0 application. Over one year later, Microsoft came close to the mark with the newly renamed ASP.NET AJAX Extensions (note that the official name of the framework has the word "AJAX" in all capital letters, as opposed to the way it is used throughout this book).

While ASP.NET AJAX Extensions contains "ASP.NET" in its name and is released to work with ASP.NET, the framework contains tools that any JavaScript developer can use. The core libraries and the Community Technology Preview (CTP) releases contain a variety of JavaScript functionality, such as an Ajax library, namespace and interface constructs, and classes that wrap DOM elements (Microsoft calls these "controls"), providing a development environment similar to what Windows developers are accustomed to.

But don't assume that ASP.NET AJAX Extensions are strictly client side. The framework contains a variety of new .NET classes and server controls, providing developers with a simple, and seamless, interface for developing Ajax-enabled applications.

Whether you're an ASP.NET developer or someone looking for a set of tools to aid your Ajax development, ASP.NET AJAX Extensions could be for you.