DevConn Highlights--Atlas

Published 09 November 05 06:39 PM | despos

It was my first exposure to MS delivered Atlas contents. It confirmed my early impression.

  • ASP.NET Script Callback is born dead, though you can still use it effectively in a number of 2.0 apps
  • Ajax.NET is more lightweight and elegant I'd say. I'd go for it in any situation in which I'm building frequently used rich features
  • Atlas is for the future, not meaning that it doesn't work today
  • Atlas is not the MS version of Ajax; Atlas is much more

Atlas extends Ajax.NET in a number of ways.

  • Browser object model to abstract away DOM differences between browsers
  • Set of client-side enabled server controls, including data-binding and editable controls
  • Access to server-side services through Web services (authentication, profile, session, cache)

The third point is easily replicable in Ajax.NET as well; and it probably already belongs to it in the Professional version.

I'm of course unable to see the exact future of Atlas, but I envision a perfect world in which we have one set of server controls with optional rich client capabilities. For now, we have two distinct sets which is not a bad or invalidating thing per se.

I can't say I love Atlas today, but I can't wait to see the final platform where Atlas is bringing us. Love the plan.

 

Comments

# Ray Fan said on November 9, 2005 12:50 PM:

Hi Dino,

Just want to confirm, do you suspect that when Atlas is out eventually, people will stop using librarys like Ajax.NET? In other words is Atlas the one stop shop for DHTM, Ajax capabilities in the .NET world?

Thanks,
Ray.

# Dylan said on November 9, 2005 01:37 PM:

Personally, right now I find taking the time to figure out Atlas isn't worth it. Ajax.NET allows me to use my existing DOM javascript skills and not have to worry about all that wierd AJAX xml script stuff. With Ajax.NET I can simply treat a server side method transparently as a client side method. It's so simple and easy.

I know Atlas will have a lot more going for it in the long run (as long as they don't botch the cross-browser thing, like MS has done in the past), so it may come to the point where I push to start using it. In the meantime, Ajax.NET and a good js library like scriptaculous or dojo allow some pretty sweet interactive web apps with little extra work.

# Ingo said on November 9, 2005 05:48 PM:

My first impression of Atlas was bad, I saw that they are copied the Ajax.NET Professional code for the requests and way to communicate with the server. But they are doing to much work on removing JavaScript from the clients. You have to learn new XML script syntax, I hate this because I'd like to do my own controls, but now I have to inherit from their special controls, I cannot easly do my own job with it. If you want to build a grid control you will get their model, but did you ever had a look on the memory usage in IE on sites like live.com or start.com? I saw already a new control from Michael that is cool datagrid control that allowes you to add render lines that do not have the memory problems at all. He added a haschanged event that will be called if the data has been changed on the server, very great work.

I hope Michael has enough free time during his long nights and provide us with more examples.

# Oliver Martin said on November 9, 2005 05:50 PM:

Hi,

I downloaded the latest version of AJAX .NET PRO today and I was very impressed of the work is done inside. I had a long chat today with Michael Schwarz (author) and was discussing what his future plans are. It is very interesting to talk to him because he has the great ideas of next steps. When I compare his versions he has done in the past I see that everything has been copied by other companies.

# Pero Kundolf said on November 10, 2005 03:03 AM:

Atlas is a cool demonstration what can be done with client side javascript controls, but we are doing the same today without the trouble of memory leaks, and with less code. As the developers above I'm using Ajax.NET, too, but an older version. I love the way to do requests with my own javascript controls. For me it is strange to learn again a new framework. :(

# RichB said on November 10, 2005 05:43 AM:

> born dead

The usual English would be 'stillborn'

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