Re: Change class of element in code

"CJM" wrote in message
news:64qovtF2cttvbU1@mid.individual.net...

> Never mind ASP Classic - what about the rest of the web? The .NET paradigm
> only works for .NET, so I need to consider whether it is worth learning
> the 'official' Microsoft way, or picking and choosing the tools and
> techniques as I see fit.

Huh? I thought this was the Microsoft aspnet group. If you want to not use
ASP.NET for what it brings to the table - its web object model - than why
bother using it at all?

> For example, should I shun HTML as you suggest and use .NET to produce
> cloned IE-centric tag soup? Yes, I know the .NET framework has come on a
> long way from Frontpage/Word in terms of HTML, but it's still far from
> perfect. It's still IE-centric and IE 7 still isn't standards compliant...

The ASP.NET web object model does not create "tag soup", and it is not
IE-centric; you would know this if you had spent even a few minites with it.
What you see in the forms designer is entirely different from the HTML these
classes generate when rendering a page at runtime. I personally don't
recommend using the forms designer at all.

> As for using a Panel (containg .NET controls), doesn't this rather defeat
> the object... I'm templating my system for superior performance and ease
> of development and maintenance. Sure, I could try to assemble building
> blocks using a Panel for a wrapper, but I gain nothing and don't achieve
> my original aims. Or am I missing something?

Generating HTML from objects is by far the highest-performing design. You
wouldn't think so, but it's true - it's faster than putting HTML directly on
a page. You also gain a smaller code base and reuasable components. I
definitely think you are missing something.

> I'm not dismissing your suggestions outright, but I remain to be
> convinced. And frankly, to suggest that we need to move even further away
> from HTML is an absurd suggestion. The web is awash with 'developers' with
> no real skill or knowledge but a copy of Dreamweaver or VS.NET - we need
> more people who can code in HTML before they do anything else.

You're right - the web is awash with developers with no real skill; most do
not understand object-oriented design. If you were local to Boston I would
sit you down and take the time show you why in real applications -
especially reusable components such as controls - HTML should be rendered
with classes and not coded by hand. "coding in HTML" is not really coding at
all.

Paul