Language Confusion

[John Carnahan]

What direction to look into?

I'm using VB.net for the ASP.net main language, with some Web server
controls, and some HTML server controls,
and want to add some Client side functionality to the UI, for example, a
mouseover event on a gizmo to light up or something,
but don't want a roundtrip to the server on everything.

1.) Would I use Javascript, VB Script, jScript.net, or what?
2.) On the DHTML side of things, the pros and cons seem confusing, i.e. HTC
?, and CSS, java applets, active x, flash, and ????
Can you point me to some clearification on the capabilities of these
approaches?
3.) I can see how you can just use DHTML (i.e. javascript) on the client
side and not use any of the server side stuff,
but I don't see a way to reference the Web Server controls and the DHTML
from the VS.net IDE.

This may sound confusing, but what I'm asking is, basically, I want the best
of both worlds... the OOP of the Server Side stuff,
and an OOP stuff on the client side, all rolled in to ONE OOP approach. I'm
hoping I don't need to learn three or four different
languages to accomplish this... i.e. VB.NET, javascript, jscript, and
whatever else. (maybe I do?).

By the way, I'm not too concerned about the targeted browser capabilities, I
can keep my intended audience on the lastest greatest IE.

 

[Scott M.]

Let's narrow things a bit.

JavaScript & JScript - These are essentially the same language. There are a
few differences in the objects, methods and properties, but as for treating
them as 2 languages to learn & know, not really. If you know JavaScript
(and you should for all your client-side coding), you are all set there.

VBScript - Dead and gone as far as web development is concerned. Don't
bother.

HTML & CSS - Absolute requirements for providing rich output to the client.

DHTML - Is simply what you get when you use client-side scripting (here's
where your JavaScript will come into play) to programmatically alter HTML
elements via their CSS attributes.

Java Applets & ActiveX - Best to try to avoid these items as they put
demands on the client to have (or download) additional components.

Flash - Well, now you are getting "Flashy". Very nice technology, but
certainly not something that is required to use as part of any OO
programming solution.

Bottom line:

Use HTML & CSS for the raw presentation aspects of the web page.
Use DTHML & JavaScript to perform client-side programming (whatever that may
mean for your needs).
Use ASP.NET to perform your server-side programming (DB connectivity,
invoking other classes, etc.)

 

[John Carnahan]

Thanks Scott,
That gave me what I'm looking for.
John