Coolite Blog 
We are pleased to announce the release of the Coolite Toolkit Version 0.6. This release is the most feature packed Coolite Toolkit version to date and ships with 20+ new web controls, new Ajax functionality and dozens of new features to help impress your boss and clients.
New Features
Examples Explorer
We're thrilled with our new "Examples Explorer" and over time we will be filling the explorer with hundreds of working code samples. The explorer is a great place to jump start your introduction into the Coolite Toolkit and simplify adding new functionality to your own projects. Each example also includes a real time "Source Code" viewer, .zip download of the files and "Direct Link" option.
New Slate Theme
The popular ExtJS Slate Theme originally developed by J.C. Bize is now included along with the original "Default" and "Gray" Themes. Just set Theme="Slate" in your <ext:ScriptManager>. As well, continuing with our commitment to provide advanced Visual Studio (and Visual Web Developer Express!) design-time support, switching Themes instantly updates the "look and feel" of all the controls on your Page during design.
Portal
The new <ext:Portal> opens up a whole new world of possibilities for ASP.NET developers. Load unique content or external websites into Portlets and allow your users to drag, drop and re-arrange.
See Portal Example
AjaxEvents
The new AjaxEvents functionality provides a simplified method of attaching Ajax functionality to any client-side event of any element on your Page. For example you can now attach a "Click" event to any Control (Coolite or otherwise) or html element and fire a server-side event handler in your code-behind. The AjaxEvents work similar to the typical server-side ASP.NET events you are familiar with, for example clicking a Button, but now performs the "postback" with an Ajax request and the Page does not reload.
See AjaxEvents Example
Grid Panel
Displaying Grid based data is a key piece of functionality for any web application and the Coolite Toolkit now includes the <ext:GridPanel>. The quantity and quality of functionality included with the new GridPanel Control is staggering. The ease and flexibility of which you can create powerful Grids for displaying, editing, paging, sorting, grouping and filtering data is unrivaled in today's ASP.NET Web Control market.
The <ext:GridPanel> is used in conjunction with the new <ext:Store> control. The <ext:Store> can be loaded with data from any IDataSource control, such as <asp:SQLDataSource>, <asp:ObjectDataSource> and <asp:LinqDataSource>. The Store is flexible enough to load data from any IEnumerable object, such as a Generic List<> or an Array of objects.
The <ext:Store> can also be pointed to any url which returns a JSON, XML feed or just a simple Array of data.
See the following GridPanel examples for a quick introduction to the new functionality.
- Data from an Array
- Remote Paging and Sorting using
- GridFilters
- Grouping Summary
- Sliding Pager
The Version 0.6 installer and/or manual installation package is available to download now.
Technical support is provided online within the Coolite Community Forums or enhanced support options available with the purchase of a Premium Support Subscription.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments as we're always happy to help.
Tuesday, October 8, 2008 posted by geoffrey.mcgill
Hot on the heels of the BorderLayout Preview, is a preview for the new Coolite ViewPort ASP.NET web control.
When added to your Page, the ViewPort control will automatically size itself to the size of the browser window content area (viewport). The ViewPort control must contain a Layout control (typically BorderLayout). Within each Region of the BorderLayout, you can add other containers controls such as Panel, TabPanel, TreePanel or GridPanel.
ViewPort with BorderLayout
Child controls within a BorderLayout Region (North, South, East, West or Center) can themselves contain a Layout. By simply combining various Layout and Panel controls, a developer, within minutes can create elegant and functional application layouts which work consistently across all modern web browsers.
Code samples for both markup (<ext:ViewPort />) and C# code-behind are provided.
The sample also demonstrates the included "Gray" Theme, which can easily be set with one property at the Page, Session, Application or web.config levels.
The ViewPort control will be available with the version 0.5 release of the Coolite Toolkit.
Thursday, April 10, 2008 posted by geoffrey.mcgill
The Layout controls for the version 0.5 release are coming together nicely. It's been a challenge, but I think we've found the sweet spot between clean markup, object model, Visual Studio designer support, Intellisense support and being true to the ExtJS framework.
The following examples provide code samples (markup + C#) and demonstrate the Layout controls within a Window control. The main Layout is controlled by a BorderLayout.
NOTE This build is not currently available for download. Everything you see will be included with the version 0.5 release.
Window with Simple Layout
Window with Complex Layout
All Layout controls, except FormLayout/FormPanel, are now working in both markup and code-behind. Design-time support for the Layout controls is still under development, but progressing quickly.
More v0.5 Notes and a few Breaking Changes
1. The ViewPort control will be included with the v0.5 release.
2. The TagPrefix has changed from 'cool' to 'ext'.
Example// Old
<cool:window runat="server" id="Window1" />// New
<ext:window runat="server" id="Window1" />3. The Namespace (.dll) has changed to Coolite.Ext.Web from Coolite.Web.UI.
Example// Old
Window win = new Coolite.Web.UI.Window();// New
Window win = new Coolite.Ext.Web.Window();4. The Grid (GridPanel) control *might* not be included with the 0.5 release. Completion of the Layout controls is further ahead than the GridPanel, so we might make the decision to release v0.5 early without including the GridPanel.
Any
feedback is very much appreciated.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 posted by geoffrey.mcgill
I'll be in
Las Vegas 4-Mar-2008 to 7-Mar-2008 to attend the Microsoft Mix08 conference. Should be good.
Let me know if you're going to be around.
geoff [at] coolite [dot] com
Saturday, February 16, 2008 posted by geoffrey.mcgill
Coolite, Inc. is thrilled to announce our collaboration with ExtJS, LLC. The deal has been in the works for a while, but it's now ready for prime time.
The first product to be built from the Coolite.Ext collaboration is...
Coolite Toolkit.
Coolite Toolkit is an Ext official suite of ASP.NET Web Controls based on the Ext JavaScript Framework.
The suite of web controls were built with a focus on bringing full Visual Studio Design-Time support to the Ext JavaScript Framework. A marriage of server-side and client-side frameworks.
The first trial release of the Coolite Toolkit is now available for download and ready to install.
Developers using Coolite Toolkit benefit from features including:
- Powerful integration of the Ext JavaScript Framework.
- Full Design-Time support in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 & 2008 and Visual Web Developer 2005 & 2008.
- Drag-and-drop ease of use.
- Current support for Window, Panel and a many Form Controls including DatePicker, Calendar and HtmlEditor.
- New Controls being added weekly.
- Dual Licensed (LGPL 3.0 and Coolite Commercial License).
- Professional support options available shortly.
A good first step to joining and contributing to the Coolite Community is to visit the Forums.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments and we will do our best to help out. Currently, technical support is only provided via the Coolite Community Forums.
Welcome to Coolite.
Thursday, February 7, 2008 posted by geoffrey.mcgill
We've been tinkering on ideas for over 18 months, and we're happy to announce that Coolite.com is officially online and ready to go.
We'd love to hear you what you think of the website. It's Cool(ite)!
Thursday, February 7, 2008 posted by geoffrey.mcgill
