Microsoft ‘Atlas’ Part 1:The Microsoft Ajax Library

Presenter: Tim Kremer

About Tim

• Project Manager at SSW

• Software Engineering Background

• Developing websites since 1998

• Developing in .NET for 5+ years

Ajax Timeline

• Microsoft invents it– IE in 1998– OWA, MSDN take advantage

• Google popularises it– Google Maps

• Web 2.0 explodes– Flickr– Digg– Live.com– YouTube– www.Spyk.com (the newest!)

Why is Web 2.0 difficult?

• JavaScript apps are difficult to develop– Poor debug tools

Many Popular Libraries

• PrototypeJavaScript extension library, and crux of many of the open-source offerings.

– Script.aculo.us built on top of prototype– Dojo toolkit – rich client-side UI library built on top of prototype

• Google Web Toolkit server side java libraries that emit javascript and html

• Component ArtServer controls and update panels for ASP.NET

• Microsoft ‘Atlas’ - **This presentation**

• Many more: http://wiki.osafoundation.org/bin/view/Projects/AjaxLibraries

Problems with the landscape

• Most existing libraries are:

– Incomplete• Some improve on the javascript structure• Some do cool UI effects• Some on client side• Some tied to a particular server technology

– Can’t be used with each other

3 Parts of Atlas

1. Client Side Stuff **this presentation**2. Server Side Stuff3. Atlas Control Toolkit

Briefly - Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Server Extensions

• Server Controls– Script Manager– Update Panel – Server side equivalents of UI controls– Server Control extensions

• Server Extensions– Web Services Bridge

• JSON serialiser• Javascript proxy generation• Bridge files (*.asbx) to connect via the server to external web services.

**Awesome for mashups!!

– Application Services Bridge• User authentication (using membership service)• User data storage (using profile service)

Briefly - Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Ajax Toolkit

OverviewAsp.net Official Link:

http://atlas.asp.net/default.aspx?tabid=47&subtabid=477

Project Source on Codeplex: http://www.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=AtlasControlToolkit

Join the open community effort!

The Microsoft Ajax Family

• Formerly codenamed ‘Atlas’– Client-side framework– Server side extensions– Atlas Control Toolkit

• New Official Names, Sept 2006:– Microsoft Ajax Library **this presentation**– Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Ajax Extensions– Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Ajax Toolkit

Microsoft Ajax Client Library

More than just Ajax:

1. Cross-Browser Framework 2. Extends Javascript to a rich OO model3. Components, Events, Actions4. Imperative or Declarative programming paradigm5. Control Binding6. Control Extensions & Behaviours7. Data Binding8. Not just for ASP.NET9. More efficient AJAX calls using JSON

Microsoft Ajax Client Library

Browser Compatibility

Browser Compatibility Layer Supports• IE• Mozilla• Safari• Opera (in the works)

Microsoft Ajax Client Library Script Core - Rich OO model

Your client-side script supports:• Inheritance• Interfaces & Abstract classes• Namespaces• Enumerations• Delegates

Microsoft Ajax Client Library Base Class Library

Useful types:

• StringBuilder• Debug• Event• IDisposable

Other Support:

• Serialisation for JSON

• Authentication integration with the server counterpart

• Profile integration with the server counterpart

Abstractions:

• Abstractions for XMLHTTP– WebRequest– WebResponse

• Further Abstractions for invoking WebMethods

– Aspx pages– Web services– any server class

Microsoft Ajax Client Library Client-side Programming Models

• Traditional Imperative Code

And/or

• Declarative XML-script mark-up called ‘Atlas Script’

Microsoft Ajax Client Library Components, Events & Actions

ComponentsComponents are reusable, self-describing types

Common components include:

– ControlsIncludes visible UI Controls (eg. ListView, VEMap)and non-visible controls (eg. Timer, Counter)

– BehavioursPre-written functionality to attach additional semantics to existing controls (eg. drag/drop and hover behaviours)

– ValidatorsLike Behaviours, but allow you to define validation rules for input controls

Microsoft Ajax Client Library Components, Events & Actions

EventsComponents can raise events. Events can have Actions

attached to them. (eg. An event could be raised when a property changes on the component)

ActionsActions allow performing work, by calling Component methods

or setting properties in response to events

Microsoft Ajax Client Library Control Bindings

Control BindingsBindings allow wiring up components to transfer property values from one component to

another. Transformations can be called in the process, and methods can also be invoked.

<span id="label2">Empty</span><input type="text" id="textBoxInput" />

<script type="text/xml-script"> ..

<textBox id="textBoxInput"/>

<label id="label2"> <bindings>

<binding dataContext="textBoxInput" dataPath="text" property="text" />

</bindings> </label>

..

Control Extensions & Behaviours

Control Extensions exist to add interesting functionality to simple html or asp controls

• Client Side Extenders– Eg. AutoCompletion

• Server Side Extenders– Eg. AutoCompletion

Microsoft Ajax Client Library Data Binding

Atlas provides a rich set of data controls using familiar html templates:

Variety of DataBound Controls– ListView– DataNavigator– ItemView– Paging Control

• Additional Client-side behaviours– Sorting behavior

• Variety of Data Sources– DataSource– DataTable– XML Data Source – uses XPATH on the client side for filtering!!

This is a whole topic of its own, and ripe for future usergroup presentations.

Essential Tools

• http://www.fiddlertool.com– IE powertoy from Microsoft– HTTP debugging proxy. Inspect traffic, set

breakpoints, and ‘fiddle’ with requests

• Microsoft Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar– View & manipulate Browser DOM, Caches– Highlighting & labelling of html elements– Validate CSS, HTML, Links

Real World Web 2.0

Spyk.com Property Search

Using:• Atlas (mostly client-side with service calls)• Virtual Earth

• SQL Server• ASP.NET• .NET multithreaded rich client for spidering

properties.

Questions?

Future Atlas Presentation Topics:

Client-side Data BindingClient-side Authentication + ProfileServer Control CreationWeb Services Bridge for MashupsGadget Creation

Thank you!