Because of the rule of not using third party components, it is implemented using the build-in client-callback feature with some custom JavaScript. All in all very few lines of code was needed.

The calendar widget to the right on this site is now ajaxified for a more smooth navigation between months. The postback reloaded the page every time you navigated to a new month and that was not very cool. The performance is actually pretty descent I think.

The comments have also been AJAX enabled, so that when you write a comment, there is no postback anymore. It makes sure that the browser supports AJAX before enabling it, so that it falls back to normal postback behaviour on old browsers. The invisible CAPTCHA still works when the browser doesn’t support AJAX. I have never seen ajaxified comments on other blogs, so it might be an exclusive feature of BlogEngine.NET.

Unfortunately I cannot share the bits with you because CodePlex is having problems, so there is no access to the source code. CodePlex say they will be back online within 96 hours. In the mean time you can try out the AJAX capabilities of BlogEngine.NET here at this blog.

Comments

CodePlex even has a wiki established for listing details about its technology. Viewing source code for projects doesn’t require agreeing to a lengthy end-user license agreement or non-disclosure terms.

“CodePlex is an online software development environment for open and shared source developers to create, host and manage projects throughout the project lifecycle,” Microsoft noted on the site.

“It has been written from the ground up in C# using .NET 2.0 technology with Team Foundation Server on the back end. CodePlex is open to the public free of charge.”

It’s Microsoft all right, as vnunet reported the opening of CodePlex after several weeks in private beta mode.

Vnunet cited Microsoft community source programs director Jon Rosenberg on Microsoft’s motivation to make this foray into open source:

CodePlex will also be a place for aspiring developers to register and contribute to projects. That work can help build a rsum as the developer completes his or her coding efforts over time.

It also helps build some familiarity and brand loyalty to Microsoft and its products. An effectively implemented CodePlex could be a gateway to assisting developers in becoming loyal to C# and .NET technologies, and take that loyalty into the workplace.

Several projects on CodePlex have seen active development already. The Community Advanced Starter Kit takes a modular approach in enabling the rapid creation of community sites like ones for user groups or news sites.

Developers working on Vertigo aim at bringing a Rational-like version tree source code browser to Microsoft’s Team Foundation Server. Another project, SharePoint Forums Web Part, offers a feature-rich discussion board that works with SharePoint Portal Server and Windows SharePoint Services

The CodePlex team plans an update in mid-July, which will include improvements in the RSS feeds and a number of bug fixes. Microsoft’s James Newkirk also noted the unveiling of a CodePlex blog the team will use to post about the community site.

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.