Client-Side Functionality Overview
- 2 minutes to read
In addition to the comprehensive server-side object model, the majority of DevExpress ASP.NET controls offer an advanced client-side API. This enables web applications based on DevExpress web controls to function more efficiently, using a combination of server-side and client-side processing.
The client-side API exposed by DevExpress web controls is implemented using Javascript.
The implemented JavaScript-based functionality runs directly within a browser and allows end-users to manipulate web controls on the client side via an interface (the default functionality) and programmatically (custom functionality).
- A web control’s default client functionality, which is typically implemented using the internal client API, automatically performs specific actions in response to end-users interacting with web control elements (for example, hovering over an ASPxMenu control highlights its items and invokes the hovered item’s submenu).
- Custom client functionality enables web application developers to manipulate web control behavior using client code according to individual developers’ requirements (for example, an ASPxNavBar group can be expanded or collapsed in code when needed).
DevExpress web controls synchronize client-side property values, which end-users can change using the server side (for example, expand state, selected item, sorting). A client-side property value does not synchronize with the server-side if only the client-side API can change it.
Note
We recommend that you only use the documented public client-side API to implement any custom client functionality.
Client API Discoverability
Server objects’ client-side equivalents are named using the ‘ASPxClient‘ prefix, for example:
You can find a particular client object’s documentation by typing its name in the Document Explorer’s Index section (Client object names always begin with the ‘ASPxClient’ prefix in the DevExpress naming convention). The public client-side API is also documented in the Reference section of our documentation (for example, DevExpress.Web.ASPxMenu.Scripts, DevExpress.Web.ASPxEditors.Scripts, DevExpress.Web.ASPxGridView.Scripts).