August 8, 2002 - Introducing CodeBehind | WebReference

August 8, 2002 - Introducing CodeBehind

Yehuda Shiran August 8, 2002
Introducing CodeBehind
Tips: August 2002

Yehuda Shiran, Ph.D.
Doc JavaScript

Client-side .html files mix HTML and JavaScript code. The HTML portion serves as the presentation layer of the Web site. This layer includes GUI widgets such as forms, button, text boxes, menus, and banners. The JavaScript portion is responsible for the business logic. It usually includes event handlers and functions to handle the user's requests. The HTML portion is static, and is independent of the user's actions. The JavaScript portion, on the other hand, is dynamic and is dependent on the user's actions.

The .NET environment provides an alternate paradigm for server-side Web sites. The Code Behind concept calls for a separation between the presentation layer and the business logic. The static part is ASP.NET code, residing in the .aspx file. It includes ASP.NET controls such as ASP:TextBox and ASP:Label. The dynamic part is JScript code, residing in a separate .js file.

The integration of the .aspx and the .js files is a bit complex. The .js file is not just included in the .aspx file. The .NET framework compiles it first, and then lets the .aspx file call methods from the derived binary dll. This process is hidden from you. The browser tries to load the binary dll file, but if the source has changed after the dll creation date, the browser will automatically recompile the source file.

To learn more about JScript .NET and ASP.NET, go to Column 115, JScript .NET, Part IX: Code Behind.