Use ASP.NET AJAX framework with WSS 3.0

I had to make a custom field type, which uses the AutoComplete from the Ajax Toolkit.

"AutoComplete is an ASP.NET AJAX extender that can be attached to any TextBox control, and will associate that control with a popup panel to display words that begin with the prefix typed into the textbox. "

First I was afraid to begin with this task because of the rumors about the ASP.NET AJAX integration with Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 . After all, it turned out better than I expected.

What do we want to achieve:



I think it's unnecessary to write down an how-to. I made use of the following URL's to accomplish it.

• Create an AutoComplete WebPart
  This article let you understand how to link a textbox & a webservice with the AutoComplete extender. Note: The webservice is necessary to retrieve the data.
  
• ASP.Net 2.0 AJAX Extensions and the ASP.Net 2.0 AJAX Control Toolkit
  
• Very important links to do a make-over of the web.config: Ajax ready
  if the link above doesn't work - take a look at Wss site configuration


• If you don't know how to make a Custom Field Type - Here's an example

The code beneath shows how to define the ascx control [Defines a SharePoint:RenderingTemplate element whichs tells SharePoint how to render your control].

Missing attributes in the AutoCompleteExtender tag:
ServicePath=http://moss/_layouts/WebService/WebService.asmx
ServiceMethod="GetEmployees" MinimumPrefixLength="1"

Chinese? Watch this video: How do I use the ASP.NET AJAX AutoComplete control?

So that's it... Questions / Comments? Feel free!