Chapter 2. JavaScript
Interactivity is key to making web pages more useful, dynamic, and interesting to the user. The ability to embed scripts in web pages is key to making them more interactive. Scripts can be used to respond to events, such as when a page loads or a user clicks a button. Scripts are also how you work with and process data sent to and from the server via HTTP requests and responses.
For most web developers, JavaScript is the language of choice as it is the only one supported by all major browsers. A sound knowledge of JavaScript is important to make the most of ASP.NET AJAX. However, an Ajax framework such as ASP.NET AJAX makes it easy to use the technology without requiring extensive familiarity of its details. In fact, ASP.NET AJAX can even help developers who are not at all familiar with JavaScript thanks to the framework approach. Still, as ASP.NET AJAX is simply a framework, without the ability to use JavaScript, you are limited to the functionality offered by the ASP.NET AJAX controls. Some client scenarios may actually require more work in ASP.NET AJAX than creating a custom JavaScript. Therefore, the best strategy for an Ajax-enabled web site is to use the best of both worlds: the ASP.NET AJAX framework that you extend with your JavaScript coding skills.
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