Dexter, if you use remote scripting, our new product (LiveControls for
ASP.NET) would help you greatly. It is a suite of 20+ server controls
that are fully remote scripted (the ASP.NET postback is replaced with a
remote scripted callback. All the javascript work to update the UI is
already done for you). They are cross browser compatible and have been
tested in IE5.0 + (PC and Mac), Mozilla 1.3+ (PC and Mac), Opera,
Galeon, Konqueror, etc.
http://www.dart.com/livetutorial/display.aspx
or
http://www.dart.com/powerweb/livecontrols.asp
If I were building a chat application, the following LiveControls would
be useful to me:
- LiveGrid - To show the list of available rooms in a grid...also to
show the list of chatters in a room.
- LiveTextBox - To allow a user to enter text.
- LiveButton - To send the text to the webserver.
- LiveLabel - To display the chat transcript.
- LiveSound - To play sound effects where appropriate (like a doorbell
alert when a new user enters the room, etc).
- LiveTimer - To poll the webserver for new chat messages.