jQuery vs ASP.NET Ajax

Question

What are the differences between jQuery and ASP.NET Ajax?

Answer 1

They are very separate things, jQuery is a JavaScript framework that has the ability to do some rudimentary Ajax functionality while ASP.NET Ajax is a more fully-featured Ajax framework that encompasses .NET controls and server-side aspects as well as client-side aspects.

jQuery's main focus is on a creating standard, stable, and powerful framework for working with JavaScript as a whole in the client.

Answer 2

Albeit ASP.NET AJAX encompasses a client side framework it is perhaps best known/feared/loathed for its server side controls, particularly the UpdatePanel. What you get with ASP.NET AJAX is out-of-the-box AJAX for the most basic stuff without having to write a single line of JavaScript.

If on the other hand you need to write some JavaScript or go a little out-of-the-box, working with ASP.NET AJAX can soon become a little tedious.

jQuery on the otherhand is lightweight and requires you to write JavaScript, although for most part, the jQuery guys has done a very good job of hiding the ugly JavaScript stuff away, so apart from a small learning curve it comes pretty natural (particularly if you are on home-stretch in CSS selectors).

Main problem in using jQuery with ASP.NET can be if you mess too much with the DOM you might get ViewState/Event validation problems.

Answer 3

jQuery is a standalone javascript library that can be integrated into any development environment. It it widely used and many great plugins exist for it.

It can be used for much much more than just AJAX functionality. Like traversing through current elements and changing their functionality.

ASP.NET AJAX is something else entirely, since it only focuses on AJAX like functionality in the .NET environment.