Tabbed display in ASP.net

the 'tabbed' display in ASP.NET does NOT behave the same way that you are ued to with Access.  Each 'tab', is in fact a COMPLETELY NEW web page, and requires a complete round trip to the Server and Back.  It just LOOKS like a Tabbed page.  The think to remember is that the INTERACTION model (how the use interacts with the application) is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT when dealing with ASP.NET, from what it is/was with a Windows application like Access.

What you get is a web-page (ASP.NET) that *looks like* a tabbed dialog, but each 'tab' is in fact a Hyperlink to the page that presents what would appear to be a new TAB PAGE - in fact, it *is* a completely ne and independent page.  The tabbed dialog per se DOES NOT exist.

AW

ok can I use 1 page and when they hit a button it shows or hides a panel. Thus only using 1 trip to get data, and showing and hiding relevant panel/ pane.

Or what about a bookmark thing jumping down to tab to view??

cheers George

I don't think so.  Look at the way the EE page works.  It 'behaves' like a Tabbed dialog, but when you choose from the topic bar ("home", "Career", "storage", etc) as if these were tabs on a Tabbed dialog, you are sent back to the server, to get the new page.  That is how ASP works.  And I doubt that you REALLY want to DOWNLOAD ALL of the data necessary for MULTIPLE tab pages, on the chance that the user might wat to navigate to one of the other pages.  It will be MUCH more efficient, in the long run, to simple navigate to the page the user want, load it (on the server) and send the requested page back to the browser, on demand.

AW

no once my users are in a Company record they will be lokoing at only that companys data...about 20-30 fields worth... so you see after that initial company selection I dont need to go back to server...I willl have all the data user need for that company...this is more to do with page layout. Am moving current Access application to website.

Also going back to server would increase the bandwidth for application would it not??

cheers George

sorry, but trying to move an Access app to the web, without clearly understanding the FUNDAMENTAL differences in the behavior of the User Interface in the two EXTREMELY different arenas is asking for trouble.  It is NOT simply a matter of translating an Access form to it equivalent in ASP.NET.  It does not work like that.

I have done both - Access application and then a web-enabled VERSION with the same basic FUNCTIONALITY, but NOT the IDENTICAL behavior.  You will need to adapt the UI to accomodate the web paradigm.  This will be especially so if you are also migrating to ASP.NET.  Is your application code written from a OO perspective.  Are you going to use Access as trhe back-end (a VERY BAD idea, but it is up to you).

There are MAJOR behavior differences - for instance, ComboBoxes MUST - repeat MUST- make a round-trip to the server, cannot be avoided - results in what is called a 'post-back' of the SAME page, back to the browser.  You will need to handle the POSTBACK in the Page_Load event handler in your VB.NET code for the page.  And this is just one of many such differences.  So be prepared for a rather steep learning curve, and be willing to change your approach to the solution, becuase change is REQUIRED to deal with the web-based forms as opposed to Windows based forms.

AW

AW I already have done a SQL Server 7 and ASP front end last year. So am familair with some of concepts.

This conversion will use VB.Net and SQl Server backend.

So what about using Panels to show / hide controls and simulate a tabbed display?

I have done a create search fields at runtime prototype for another job and the Ispostback to check state to retain the dropdownlists user selection...so thats not a problem.

This application will have 150 users so bandwith is important.

cheers

George

as far as I am aware, there is no Tab Page control for ASP.NET, either dfrom MS or from a third party, but I could be wrong on the latter.  I currently have no need for such a control, so I haven't looked.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Good luck

AW

MS has free addon componant for mutlitab and something else but I have yet to see any code that I can get to work

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