This Wrox Blox gives developers a hands-on look at some of the commonly used AJAX Control Toolkit controls, focusing on the CollapsiblePanel, Accordion, Tabs, ModalPopup, TextboxWatermark, AutoComplete, and CascadingDropDown. Developers also gain the tools they need to effectively use and understand the other controls found in the Toolkit. The starting point is an introduction to ASP.NET AJAX discussing the ASP.NET AJAX Extensions 1.0 and AJAX in .NET 3.5, laying the groundwork for understanding how all the pieces of the ASP.NET AJAX Framework interoperate. The introduction focuses on controls in the Extensions such as the ScriptManager, which is required for most of the AJAX Toolkit Controls, leaving readers with an understanding of the client-side enhancements found in the Microsoft AJAX Library.

The next step is getting the ASP.NET AJAX Extensions installed and running properly as well as installing the AJAX Control Toolkit. This section also offers troubleshooting tips for common issues.

Finally, developers will venture into the world of the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit. Under this section, each of the controls listed will focus on using the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit with real-world tasks in mind, not just boilerplate examples. Common tasks include theming, comparison against the UpdatePanel, dynamically creating controls, venturing into client-side (JavaScript) source code, and recommended usages.