I have the following situation to address:
A user wants to access a data base record using its unique purchase order ID. If the user mistypes the ID and is now looking for a non-existant record the data base has to return an alert message ("POID not found") to the client.
My first attempt was to use msgbox() but I learned quickly that this is not a good way to go (the client receives a "yellow error screen"). After perusing the internet, I found three different ways of sending a Java script from the server to the client to display the alert message. Basically they use the commands: Response.Write(msg), Page.Controls.Add(lbl), or P.ClientScript.RegisterStartupScript(p.GetType,"", str).

I implemented the Response.Write approach (the simplist code) and found it works OK except that when the alert is displayed on the client's screen the main screen is blanked out. Upon the dismissal of the alert, the main screen is restored but it is somewhat distorted because some of the fonts have become larger.

My question is this: is there a good way to accomplish what I want? Should I use one of the other two methods or is there yet a better way? Any comments along this line would be appreciated.

Hi there,

MsgBox is for win forms, not web apps. In web sites you can use JavaScript's alert which you can trigger using the methods you mention. You can also use plain HTML and, for example, jQuery to show a message as explained in my book. You can also look into UI frameworks such as jQuery UI.

I would stay away from Response.Write as it runs / writes in a location you may not expect. It's "classic asp style" to me, and asp.net has much better alternatives.

Cheers,

Imar

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Imar Spaanjaars
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Author of Beginning ASP.NET 4.5 : in C# and VB, Beginning ASP.NET Web Pages with WebMatrix
and Beginning ASP.NET 4 : in C# and VB.
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