Installing AJAX question

My wen hosting company is worried about installing ASP.NET AJAX onto their production server. Can anyone tell me either why this isnt an issue (i.e. with other applications and the GAC or whatever) or if it could potentially be an issue, how can I somehow install AJAX so that it is local to my application?

Cheers,

Hi,

My guess is that the hosting company is worried about installing anything that is still in TCP, Beta or RC. I don't know if MS has issued a Go Live release for any AJAX stuff yet (best to check with them directly). As AJAX is going to become a part of production sites, it's a matter of time. If you don't want to wait, you can try another hosting Co. I know that discountasp.net is one that encorages new ASP.Net technology use - I'm sure there are others. If developing ASP.Net is important to you, I'd look to moving to a hosting co. that will work with you, and has a support staff that knows this stuff. Hope it helps. BRN..

thanks for the reply, sadly its not my choice about the hosting company and they seem pretty lenient about the AJAX installation. But still I would like to know how to install the AJAX CTP so that it is local to my app. (i.e. how to install the AJAX CTP into the BIN folder on my app).

How can this be done?

Cheers!

Hi,

As you don't have the option to go with another hosting company, my guess is that any AJAX functionality you might be able to include on your own will be limited. It's only my guess, but I'd think that if the hosting co, won't install them on their webserver, you can't get access to any of the controls that are part of the MS AJAX RC, AJAX Toolkit or CTP (Codeplex), controls. So, you'd have to provide all the funtionality that those components provide on your own - which would mean a ton of work (if you have the skills to write the stuff), and I don't know how much of an impact on performance that would have on your web app.

Try leaving this post open for a while, and see if someone can give you a definitive anwser. My gut feeling is that trying to implement AJAX technology into your app, when the hosting co, won't install the stuff on their server, won't be worth the effort. If it were my call, I'd try to do the app without AJAX, and explain any lack of AJAX type functionality on the limits of the hosting co. Another way to do this, is to develop the app WITH MS AJAX enabled, and cut out the AJAX code. Then you could add the AJAX controls back into the app, when your hosting company will allow AJAX. I'd probably develop two versions, one with AJAX, one without. If you can host ASP.Net 2.0 apps on that hosting co., they most likely will provide AJAX support at some point - probably when MS does an official release or Go Live. Hope it helps. BRN..

Hi,

I'm checking with a question on my hosting company's forum about this issue. I hope to hear from them soon. Posts I have read there seem to indicate that enabling AJAX is all on the developer side - I hope my post there will get a clear answer. It could be that your hosting co saying it doesn't support AJAX, is just that they won't help HELP YOU enable AJAX. I haven't gotten to the point of trying to get AJAX enaled on my hosted site yet, so I'm still feeling my way through the process.

I also wanted to mention that there are mixed signals as to how well (or how appropriate), the current MS AJAX technology works in providing the user experience you're after. Seems that a user hitting the back button is enough to cause problems. Also, like most new things, it may be used where it's not the best tool for the job. I've also noticed that several AJAX demo sites that I visited had some issues. whether that is caused by the site design, or my user setup and settings doesn't really matter - the point is that things for me (as Joe User), didn't work right all the time. Maybe AJAX just isn't quite ready for prime time. Hope it helps BRN..

Hi,

I saw thishttp://community.discountasp.net/default.aspx?f=24&m=14130 on my hosting co.'s forum. It has some info that you might find helpful. Looks like it outlines the steps you need to take to enable an MS AJAX site on that hosting co. It could well be that the steps are the same, or similar for all ASP.Net hosting co.s. Hope it helps. BRN..

Hi,

Here's another thread from the discountasp.net forum on using the MS AJAX toolkit (for apps using their servers):http://community.discountasp.net/default.aspx?f=24&m=14133 I think this gives a bit better idea of their recommendations. See if the material here gives a better clue as to how you might bbe able to get things working with your project. Hope it helps. BRN..