Javascript Libraries and ASP.NET: A Guide to jQuery, AJAX and Microsoft

When Microsoft announced they would begin providing official support for jQuery, few of us realized how profoundly that announcement would eventually impact client-side development on the ASP.NET platform. Since that announcement, using jQuery with ASP.NET has moved from the obscure, to a central role in ASP.NET MVC’s client-side story, and now to the point of potentially superseding ASP.NET AJAX itself.

Get the full picture and read the rest at: http://visitmix.com/Articles/Javascript-Libraries-and-ASPNET

LCS 2005 / RTC Sample applications RTW'ed

Microsoft has released/updated a very interesting set of sample applications complete with source code (C# and VB.NET). I'm personally working on a case, where we are going to leverage the Client Web Access AJAX Service and samples like these are very good starting points.

• This sample demonstrates how custom server and client alerting applications can be written. This download includes fully functional sample applications that allow users to send alerts to Active Directory Group members who have an alert client application installed.
• This sample is designed to show you how to create a custom application which allows Domain Administrators to manage contacts and groups for individual users.
• This sample demonstrates how you can quickly and easily add custom disclaimers to outbound communications.
• This sample shows how you can leverage the Automation, RTC, and Messenger APIs to extend Office Communicator functionality through the use of a helper application.
• This set of samples illustrate how to provide presence, instant messaging, and additional enhanced functionality in a web site by leverage the Client Web Access AJAX Service.
• This sample demonstrates the addition of custom tabs within Microsoft Office Communicator 2005.
• This set of samples illustrate how to provide presence, instant messaging, and additional enhanced functionality in a rich client application by leveraging the Office Communicator Web Access AJAX Service.
• This sample shows how ethical walls or communication boundaries between select contacts are created.

Happy coding ;-)

Ajax 1.0 released

If you are into ASP.NET web pages and want to avoid those annoying full page repaints the good news is that Ajax (formerly known as Altas) has been released.

WBH for Applications 1.5 and WBH 4.5 Beta

Microsoft has released the beta documentation for both of the following products that are currently under development.

Windows Based Hosting for Applications 1.5 is for ISV's that want's to enable their solutions for Hosting (Download).

Windows Based Hosting 4.5 (Download) contains the following updates to WBH 4.0

Windows Server 2003 R2
The infrastructure components of the solution now run on Windows Server 2003 R2, which extends the Windows Server 2003 operating system in important ways. Web platform features include support for .NET framework 2.0 and ASP.NET 2.0 applications as well as 64-bit support for Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0.
A new licensing model that allows customers to get more value out of server virtualization.

SQL Server 2005
The solution incorporates fundamental advancements in database technology and security with SQL Server 2005. When compared with SQL Server 2000, the latest version of the comprehensive database platform of the solution provides:New features to easily support service offerings differentiated by additional capabilities rather than just database size and quantity.Support for 64-bit platforms so service providers can scale servers to any client's needs.

SQL Server Hosting Toolkit
This tool enables hosters to more easily deploy SQL Server databases for customers.

ASP.NET 2.0 support
ASP.NET 2.0 encapsulates common Web tasks into application services and controls that you can easily reuse across Web sites. With these basic building blocks, ASP.NET 2.0 allows developers to write up to 70 percent less code for faster development of rich Web sites and applications.

ASP.NET AJAX framework support
Hosters can now offer developers a richer environment on which to build interaction-rich, cross-browser Web applications.

Support for 64-bit computing
As the majority of new server shipments today contain 64-bit processing power, the solution has also moved forward with 64-bit computing support. The solution has been tested with and supports 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 R2 and SQL Server 2005.

Support for Windows SharePoint Service version 3.0
This version introduces improved administrative tools including a server farm-based Central Administration user interface. Also new in this release are the availability of 40 new application templates which hosters can use to enhance service offerings for small to medium business customers.

Source - Windows Based Hosting 4.5 beta documentation.

Sending IM messages through scripts

Would you like to send an instant message through script like this -

cscript lcsSendmsg.vbs administrator@managenet.com.au
"Hello world how are you doing”

Then look no further than Glen's Exchange Dev Blog and his post on the subject, where he uses the newly announced AJAX SDK for the purpose (Btw. if your scripting against Exchange his blog is certainly worth a look; in this case I'm only sorry that I didn't get around to write the script ;-)

Office Communicator Web Access AJAX Service SDK 1.0

Microsoft has released the Office Communicator AJAX Service SDK 1.0 including the following sample applications:

A simple instant messaging (IM) client written in JavaScript.
A simple instant messaging (IM) client written in C#.
A C# application that receives events from Communicator Web Access and displays them, as well as the methods that are being sent to the server, in JSON format.

You can find it here