jQuery and ASP.NET

[jchau]

How is the announcement of jQuery and Microsoft partnership going to affect Coolite? Microsoft will be using jQuery for future ASP.NET development, including ASP.NET MVC and ASP.NET AJAX. jQuery will be nicely integrated with Visual Studio with full intellisense and documentation. Microsoft will also release lots of control built using jQuery. This seems like direct competition with Coolite and ExtJS.

I know jQuery and ExtJS are compatible and can be used together, but it's hard to invest in more than one javascript framework, especially if jQuery is the official one supported by Microsoft. IMO, jQuery and ExtJS serve different purposes because jQuery lacks alot of the UI widgets that ExtJS provide. However, as jQuery and its UI library mature, it's a little scary to NOT jump on the jQuery bandwagon.

[JMan]

JChau,

That is interesting because I have been looking at different javascript frameworks, the thing I liked about extjs was the layout/ui/look, it is very good and really "pops". Before trying out coolite, I was actually looking to just use the extjs directly with asp.net. However, after about 2 days of just thrashing around and trying to figure out to make it work with asp.net, I gave up. Maybe it's just me but i think it's a huge learning curve if you have been doing traditional asp.net development (even with the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">ajax</st1:place></st1:City> control toolkit and javascript) and then you try to "mix" extjs with your development. After giving up on directly using extjs with asp.net, I came across this site (coolite).

It's hard enough just trying to figure out the coolite stuff, I mean the documentation is a little lacking, but the examples are good. If it wasn't for the examples, I would have given up. But all the layout and controls are new and a little elusive when trying to figure them out. I mean they do have some "asp.net" feel, but still I've not been as productive as I would like.

Now, before looking at extjs, I was also looking at jquery. The thing I really liked about the jquery, was the abstraction, lightweight, and the documentation is well written. It's easy to extend and decorate existing divs, spans and elements. JQuery seems to be well done at the core. However, the ui and plugins are lacking a little, I mean they don't have the initial "pop" that you see with extjs. Also the licensing for jquery has not had the massive problems that extjs has had.

Now learning of the Microsoft commitment to jquery, I expect there will quickly be some very slick controls that will precipitate from this initiative. At this point, I wondering if I should continue with extjs and coolite.<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break">

[amitpareek]

Looking at the MS UI Controls with AJAX they released, The flexibility that I have found using Coolite controls, is much ahead of the Controls in Ajaxtoolkit. Though the Documentation is not available right now, the forum has been quiet helpful in any question asked, be it members or developers. Also the documentation is not far away.

Agreed, that Microsoft must hv planned well before adding JQuery, but notice the fact that ExtJS Widgets are well established, preparing them from scratch is not an easy task, with the Superb finishing in the layout ExtJS Library provides, detailing which goves upto even 1 px, Coolite will be miles ahead in looks to performance ratio in comparision to Controls made by Microsoft.

The only benefit I see Microsoft having is that they will be able to Integrate their controls with jquery very nicely with .net framework. Their own product afterall. But coolite is not doing bad either. If not extend, create! AJAXEvents is an excellent example.

I endorse Coolite completely and I know I wont be let down :)