Using Editor with ASP.NET - Is it a good fit?

JeffLee

I have used DataTables in the past for searching/displaying large amounts of data from SQL Server databases, using server-side (AJAX) processing, and have been very happy with it. Now I have a requirement to add CRUD style functionality to allow users to maintain data in a few dozen SQL Server database tables.

I'd like to use DataTables for this, since I'm familiar with it. I just now briefly looked at the Editor, and can see that all of the server side code appears to be PHP.

My server-side code is (and will be) implemented as ASP.NET web services (written in C#) that talk to a SQL Server database.

Does it make sense to use (and purchase) the Editor given my requirements? Are there going to be (or do they already exist) C# versions of the PHP scripts that are included with the Editor?

I'm just getting started with trying to decide on a CRUD approach, and am hoping that someone has already tried this with ASP.NET and DataTables.

Thanks,

Jeff

allan

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for your question. As you note, the Editor server-side libraries are currently PHP only. That's not to say that Editor will work with only PHP though - the client-server communication protocol is documented here: http://editor.datatables.net/server/ and will allow the client-side aspect of Editor to work with any server-side environment.

We currently do not have a C# implementation of the server-side scripts, but it is on the roadmap for the next release. We had to stat somewhere, so PHP was where it was, but C# will follow. That release is however, likely a few months off as all development effort is currently focused on the next major release of DataTables.

Editor is primarily a client-side library, just like DataTables, and, as I say, is designed to work with any server-side environment. I'd encourage you to download the free trial and see what you think!

Regards,
Allan

jwaynelee66

Hi Allan,

Thanks for your reply.

I became busy on another project, and only now got back to looking at this again.

I suppose I don't understand your statement "Editor is primarily a client-side library" - after my (cursory) look at the files, it seems like there's a lot of PHP, and only one javascript file - dataTables.editor.js. Or maybe I'm missing something...

Can you tell me which PHP files would need to be rewritten in C# to support the API? I see a lot of PHP files in various subdirectories - are the only ones that need to be rewritten the ones in the examples/php/editor directory?

Is a C# implementation available as a beta version at this point?

Thanks,

Jeff

allan

> seems like there's a lot of PHP, and only one javascript file - dataTables.editor.js. Or maybe I'm missing something...

haha! Yes, there are lots of PHP files, primarily for the examples. None the less, Editor is primarily a client-side library, specifically designed to work with server-side environments which are not just PHP (the examples are PHP as we had to start somewhere!). As I say, a C# implementation is not he cards, and there will be loads of files for that as well :-)

> Is a C# implementation available as a beta version at this point?

Not yet - sorry. All development effort is currently being put into DataTables 1.10.

> Can you tell me which PHP files would need to be rewritten in C# to support the API?

None - you'd implement the client/server communication protocol fully described here: http://editor.datatables.net/server/ . You could rewrite the PHP files, but I'd suggest just following the communication protocol.

Regards,
Allan

jwaynelee66

Allan,

I finally read the API documentation describing what the server expects from the client, and what the client expects from the server, so my previous question/comment now seems dumb :)

I guess I just need to implement the nine parameters described in the API documentation.

Thanks,

Jeff