Developing Applications with NetAdvantage® for ASP.NET

Audience
This course is intended for developers who are evaluating or implementing applications using NetAdvantage for ASP.NET. 

At Course Completion
After completing this course, students will have a fundamental understanding of how to:

• Install NetAdvantage for ASP.NET and understand what is installed and where it is installed.
• Find and use the various help and upgrade tools included with NetAdvantage for ASP.NET.
• Understand the online developer support tools.
• Create applications using the ASP.NET controls. 
• Develop applications using the shared charting engine. 
• Create and re-use style presets across controls and applications.
• Use Quick design and Wizard-based tools to design controls on pages.
• Understand the basics of the ASP.NET client side object model. 
• Use basic and advanced functionality in WebGrid™.
• Employ row templates in WebGrid.
• Employ column templates in WebGrid.

Prerequisites
Before attending this course, students should have: 

• Basic programming experience with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET or C#.
• Familiarity with Microsoft development technologies such as Windows Forms and ASP.NET.  

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Infragistics NetAdvantage for ASP.NET

This module provides students with an introduction to Infragistics NetAdvantage for ASP.NET.  The module covers basics such as installation, where to get help, and how to upgrade your project from one version to the next.  Furthermore, it covers a basic overview of the framework that makes up the NetAdvantage for ASP.NET object models.  

After completing this module, students will be able to:  

• Install NetAdvantage for ASP.NET.
• Use the Upgrade utility.
• Use the Help to look up API members and how to do tasks.
• Understand what is installed and where it is installed.
• Gain a general understanding of the Web PLF.

Module 2: Creating Effective Web User Interfaces 

This module provides students with best practices for building effective web user interfaces.  Following the completion of this module, the student should have basic knowledge of toolbars, menus, and other controls that can greatly enhance the Web user interface experience. 

After completing this module, students will be able to: 

• Enhance navigation in applications using the WebTree™, WebListBar™, WebMenu™ and WebToolbar™.
• Create user interfaces using designers/wizards and with code.
• Optimize the performance of view state.
• Understand how to minimize postbacks with certain controls.
• Use WebTab™ to create effective user interfaces.
• Use the Client Side Object Model (CSOM) to write Javascript code.
• Understand which NetAdvantage for ASP.NET control to use for different user interface scenarios.

Module 3: Utilizing the Client Side Object Model

The NetAdvantage for ASP.NET controls have a powerful Client-Side Object Model (CSOM) tied to them.  This module provides students with advanced techniques that will show them how to vastly improve the performance of a Web application by exposing and utilizing these client side events.

After completing this module, the students will be able to:

• Understand the benefits of using either the server or the client in a Web application.
• Understand the basics of Infragistics' CSOM.
• Be able to effectively implement client-side events on a Web application.
• Understand the raw power of the NetAdvantage controls by providing insight into how they are rendered with HTML.

Module 4: WebGrid

This module covers important topics such as giving students a basic understanding of the WebGrid, how to print, use hierarchical data, perform calculations, facilitate data entry, render as XML, and employ templates.  Furthermore, this module will extend the student's knowledge of the event model by introducing the student to the events that fire during XML rendering.

After completing this module, students will be able to: 

• Explain the overall concepts of WebGrid.
• Save and deploy style presets.
• Drill into the object model and understand its key events.
• Utilize the WebCalcManager to calculate formulas.
• Have a basic knowledge of XML rendering.
• Enter data into a WebGrid and have it update to a data source.
• Employ templates to enhance data entry for end users.
• Understand the uses of XML load on demand, and how to implement an XML rendering WebGrid.
• Update a data source that uses the load on demand technology.
• Understand row and column templates.

Module 5: Charting

This module provides students with an overview of charting concepts and the NetAdvantage charting package.  The module will demonstrate using the charting wizard, and provide insight into customizing WebChart™ for an effective and stunning business presentation.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Use wizards to quickly customize WebChart.
• Understand what type of data source particular chart types require, and bind to that data.
• Visually enhance the WebChart that comes out of the box.
• Implement a drill down functionality in a WebChart.
• Explain the extensibility model of WebChart.

Module 6: WebSchedule™

This module will teach students how to work with the WebSchedule elements to build their own Web-based scheduling application. It demonstrates how to create the database, work with the WebSchedule data provider components, and use the WebSchedule view controls to present users with a rich, AJAX-enabled scheduling application.

After completing this module, the students will be able to:

• Identify and explain all of the WebSchedule components, both visual and non-visual.
• Understand the Model View Controller design pattern of WebSchedule.
• Know how to choose between the different databases provided with WebSchedule.
• Learn how to build a complete WebSchedule application.
• Learn how to switch the scheduling application's context between different application users.

Module 7: Tips and Tricks

This module will teach students how to think "outside the box" with tips and tricks that allow the programmer to deliver functionality that is not intrinsically available within the NetAdvantage for ASP.NET controls. This module essentially teaches students how to leverage the existing object and event model of the NetAdvantage for ASP.NET controls to gain additional functionality and performance for their Web applications.

After completing this module, the students will be able to:

• Use the WebAsyncRefreshPanel™ to AJAX-enable a Web application.
• Reduce load times with the WebTree control.
• Data bind the WebMenu and WebTree controls.
• Use Javascript to extend various controls on the client-side, such as loading other Web forms residing in an <iframe> within a RowEditTemplate.
• Learn how to inject markup into Text properties in order to add additional HTML elements, such as clickable Buttons and Links, inside of various controls.