Can a void AjaxManager_AjaxRequest send JSON data back to the browser?

Question

Can AjaxManager_AjaxRequest only modify controls in its UpdatePanels or can it also send back JSON data in the response. Ideally just JSON data.

So in my ascx I have

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    RadAjaxManager radAjaxManager = RadAjaxManager.GetCurrent(Page);

    if (radAjaxManager != null)
    {
        radAjaxManager.AjaxRequest += AjaxManager_AjaxRequest;
    }

}

private void AjaxManager_AjaxRequest(object sender, AjaxRequestEventArgs e)
{
   // Somehow tweak it so response is just a JSON object.
}

I just inherited some legacy code and this is the fastest way for me to accomplish my aim without creating a web service to do this properly.

Is there anyway to do what I'm asking?

Answer 1

Yeah, this possible. Actually there are exists two available solutions. The first one is to send ajax request with jQuery ajax method (you can access jQuery functionality with $telerik.$). The only lack of this approach is that target server-side method must be static and you can't access page's ViewState as well as server control's properties values. The alternative approach is to use ScriptManager's RegisterDataItem method in AjaxManager_AjaxRequest method to pass JSON-serialized object back to client and get it in Sys.WebForms.PageRequestManager's endRequest event handler on client.

<asp:ScriptManager ID="ScriptManager1" runat="server" />
<script type="text/javascript">
    Sys.WebForms.PageRequestManager.getInstance().add_endRequest(endRequestHandler);

    function endRequestHandler(sender, args) {
        var dataItems = args.get_dataItems();
        if (dataItems && dataItems["<%= RadAjaxManager1.UniqueID %>"]) {
            alert(dataItems["<%= RadAjaxManager1.UniqueID %>"].Response);
        }
    }
</script>
<telerik:RadAjaxManager ID="RadAjaxManager1" runat="server" />


void AjaxManager_AjaxRequest(object sender, Telerik.Web.UI.AjaxRequestEventArgs e)
{
    ScriptManager1.RegisterDataItem(radAjaxManager , new JavaScriptSerializer().Serialize(new { Response = "Hello, RadAjaxManager!" }), true);
}