Download [ HERE ] and see Demos [ HERE ]
In addition to Bug fixes (courtesy of Obout) for some of the top-voted issues, we have two new controls !
First, new controls!
- Seadragon, the JavaScript-only way to do Deep Zoom.
- Asynchronous AJAX File Upload Control (upload files without a full postback with no plug-in)
The Upload control is especially cool as it has client and server-side events that get triggered when the file has been uploaded.
On the server-side, you have access to the uploaded file’s byte stream, which you can save to disk (or database, or whatever).
Great to see our Ajax stack continue to evolve.
Technorati Tags: Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX Controls
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I’m surprised we still continue work on the toolkit. The product has a bunch of bugs and pretty much is unusable. My team is moving to different UI framework, as well as other teams across the MS.
I believe the link to download the toolkit is incorrect. The link goes to a May release but the new version is a September release.
ajaxcontroltoolkit.codeplex.com/…/ProjectReleases
Try a refresh – it says Sep 30 2009 for me
So Alex – are you reporting those and contributing back ?
I – and thousands of customers – are using it with great results !
Joe, most of the bugs we bumped into, were reported already. The problem more of in design itself. Look for example what calendar outputs(which is breaks by the way on IE6 and IE8 standards mode). Why there is a table there and in most other controls? Try to style that. Accessibility is another problem, try make your web app to pass accessibility tests if you use toolkit… I agree, it works fine for the simple scenarios that you have on the demo pages, if you try to change scenario a little – it is when the trouble starts. jQuery UI the alternative we went with, lightweight, works(I mean really works) across all the browsers including IE 6, passes accessibility tests, and the output it gives – is fantastic – crisp and clear(no ten nested tables), the way you would expect layout to be done in 2009, the ToolKit, I’m sorry the layout and css – pre 2000…
Just because something has bugs in it doesn’t mean we should stop trying to improve, fix and use it. The Ajax Toolkit has been around for a while and has a lot of things that can be improved. It was made for asp.net webforms which itself does not output the nicest code.
But we use it because it works for what we need it to do and because it’s easy to use with asp.net webforms. I’ve used many of the toolkit’s controls to solve simple solutions that I wouldn’t have been able to solve easily otherwise.
Point well taken, glad you like it guys.
Both points well taken.
I strive to produce clean code that is standards compliant and accessible, Personally, I feel that I have wasted a lot of time learning the intricacies a number of controls that in my experience – are a waste of time.
I think that the productivity level of all programmers would accelerate by clearly stating up front, the pros and cons of a specific technology set, as this blog entry has done.
I am eager to try the 2 new controls in the current version, but to use the words of a popular 80′s hit:
"once burned, twice shy"
Not a great deal of top voted [new features] are being implemented. I sooo want a treeview, and I sooo don’t need that Seadragon thing. To be honest, I was disappointed…
"So Alex – are you reporting those and contributing back ? "
No, he clearly stated he "is moving to different UI framework"
Why ask for a treeview if it’s not coming anyway? And, no, many people can’t help code that, which is exactly why there are projects such as these. But people still have expectations, free components or not.
They have not been met as well as they were in the 1.0 timeframe is my honest opinion.
Also, the YUI team is doing a generally better job of engaging with the users during development. For instance, I read Ajaxian. It has thousands of subscribers, Ajax developers. There is NEVER any info about the Ajax Control Toolkit. Either there is no info out there, it’s not good quality, or it doesn’t succeed in finding it’s way onto a popular site like Ajaxian.
Either way, there’s work to be done there.
Have a random click through the ajax demos. Quite a few don’t work… not a great example to set. I think it’s letting the community down somewhat. Even the new seadragon one doesn’t have the images tied up…
When I first looked through the toolkit I saw quite a few I could use, I think I’d run away as fast as possible if that time had been now!
I my experience toolkit is fine for something home/small project, when you need to build something quickly, but I have hard times using it at work, there is always some sort of bug comes up, which kills the whole benefit of using the toolkit. One that was driving me crazy – why watermark would delete all the styles applied to text box and puts it own, cant you add, and delete just yours ?