Chapter 5. Using the ScriptManager

AJAX development centers on using more JavaScript than traditional Web applications. With increased use of JavaScript comes the need for better ways to manage, reference, localize (that is, provide different script versions for specific language and culture combinations), and transmit script code to the client browser. The ASP.NET ScriptManager is at the center of ASP.NET AJAX functionality. The ScriptManager is the key component that coordinates the use of JavaScript for the Microsoft AJAX Library. Custom controls also use it to take advantage of script compression and reliable loading, as well as for automatic access to localized and debug versions of scripts.

In this chapter, you see what the ScriptManager does and how you can control it. You see how to use the ScriptManager to include your scripts, and how to use the Microsoft AJAX Library scripts. You also learn how to take advantage of the ScriptManager for accessing scripts embedded in a .dll, combining multiple scripts into one script, and how it functions to retrieve localized script resources.