ASP.NET Week 2: Dynamic Websites

Week 2 Review to ASP.NET with Visual Studio

• Topic: Dynamic Websites
• A dynamic website displays different content each time a user views it. This content adapts to factors like user demographics, time, location, and language preferences. Unlike static pages, dynamic websites provide unique content for visitors on each view, accomplished by combining client-side and server-side scripting.

Dynamic Web (cont.)

• Client-side scripting: Executed by the viewer's browser (e.g., JavaScript). This type of script modifies the webpage in response to user actions (mouse clicks, keyboard input).
• Server-side scripting: Executed by the server before sending the page to the user's browser. This influences webpage content when it loads, for example adjusting the content based on user login status, form submissions or shopping cart updates.
• Modern websites utilize both client-side and server-side scripting to improve user experience and reduce server load.

Dynamic Website Elements

• Dynamic content adjustments based on screen size.
• Language adjustments based on the user's browsing location.
• Personalized recommendations based on past website activity.
• Integration of social media and external content.
• Dynamic visuals and animations.

Benefits of Dynamic Websites

• More personalized browsing experience
• Easier maintenance
• Enhanced user experience
• Professional appearance
• Current design

Page Syntax

• The fundamental ASP.NET page is essentially static text. Any HTML file can be converted into an ASP.NET page when renamed with the .aspx extension.
• Directives: <%@ Page Language="C#"%>
• Server controls: <asp:Button runat="server">. e.g. <input type=text id=text2 runat="server" />
• Code blocks: <script runat="server">...</script>
• Data binding expressions: <%# %>
• Server side comments: <%-- --%>
• Render code: <%= %> and <% %>

Server Controls

• Small, graphical user interface building blocks (textboxes, buttons, etc.)
• Used for input of data, selections, preference specifications
• Structural actions including validation, data access, security controls and page/data manipulation
• ASP.NET uses: HTML controls, HTML server controls, ASP.NET server controls, ASP.NET Ajax server controls, user controls and custom controls.

Server Control Properties

• Tags and attributes are not case sensitive.
• Control properties can be adjusted programmatically. e.g. c1.Text = "Foo"; c2.Rows = 5;

Page Event Lifecycle

• Page initialization.
• Restoring previous control state
• Page loading
• Control events (e.g., button clicks, form submissions).
• Saving the current control state.
• Rendering the page for the user.
• Unloading the page.

Types of Controls for Creating a UI

• HTML controls: Native browser elements that are part of HTML language. Optimized for performance within the HTML page and unavailable to the web server.
• HTML server controls: Modified HTML elements using the runat="server" attribute. Maintain HTML properties from basic HTML tags and enable server-side event handling and state management.

Types of Web/Html Server Controls

• Basic controls
• List controls
• Rich controls
• Validation controls

Basic Controls

• Correspond to HTML controls.
• Examples: <asp:button>, <asp:imagebutton>, <asp:linkbutton>, <asp:hyperlink>, <asp:textbox>, <asp:checkbox>

List Controls

• Handle repeated elements.
• Examples: <asp:dropdownlist>, <asp:listbox>, <asp:radiobuttonlist>, <asp:checkboxlist>

Rich Controls

• Custom controls with enhanced functionality.
• Example: <asp:calendar>

Validation Controls

• Rich, declarative validation features.
• Validation is separated from input controls.
• Extensible validation framework.
• Validations can be managed on either the client-side or server-side, with server-side preferred for enhanced security.

Using HTML Server Controls

• Specific examples for HTML Server controls (<input type="file">, <input type="week">, <input type="time">,<input type="color">, <input type="search">, <input type="number">) with code examples.

.NET Framework

• The .NET Framework is the cornerstone of Microsoft's next-generation development toolkit, integrating powerful XML support into the programming framework making it suitable for data processing tasks.

Assignment

• Students need to understand the Model-View-Controller (MVC) function in ASP.NET
• They must describe the individual functions of Model, View, and Controller in the MVC model.

Explore the principles of dynamic websites in ASP.NET, focusing on how they adapt content based on user interactions. Understand the roles of client-side and server-side scripting in enhancing user experience and optimizing server performance. This review will deepen your knowledge as you prepare for the upcoming challenges in web development.