ASP.NET : What exactly is affected when Javascript is off?

Question

I've heard different stories about ASP.NET and JavaScript: that it works fine with Javascript turned off, that only some parts don't work, and that nothing works at all.

How exactly are ASP.NET applications affected if JavaScript is turned off in a client's browser? What parts don't work (if any)?

For example, will RequiredFieldValidators still work? What about UploadControls? AJAX UpdatePanels and AsyncPostBack's? FileUploads? Do page codebehinds still run?

Forgive my ignorance, I can't seem to find much about the issue that is in-depth.

Answer 1

Client-side validation and Ajax won't work, including async postbacks and any control that requires Javascript in order to work.

Server-side validation (which should always happen anyway) and full postbacks and such should always work, and i think a FileUpload control will as well. The biggest difference would be that someone wouldn't see that the data they entered happened to be invalid til the form was submitted.

Answer 2

LinkButtons don't work because they render out a javascript: target.

If you use GridView controls with ButtonColumns then these won't work as the buttons are javascript too. One way around this is to use a TemplateColumn and add <asp:Button> objects inside it.

Also GridView paging and sorting is JavaScript out-the-box so you'd have to write custom paging and sorting.

Also any control with AutoPostback set to true (e.g. a DropdownList) will not auto-postback. You will be able to catch the SelectedIndexChanged but ONLY when the next postback happens.