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On the heels of Googles announcement of a Java-based development framework for AJAX, a Microsoft Web architect has unveiled a tool designed to provide C# developers with similar AJAX programming capabilities.
Nikhil Kothari, an architect on Microsofts Web platform and tools team, posted for download in late May a first prototype of Script#, his homegrown C# framework and tool for AJAX development.
“Yep, I am finally publicly sharing a spare time project Ive been working on the side in an off and on manner for some time now,” Kothari wrote in his blog.
AJAX is the name of a Web programming model, which translates roughly to “Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.”
Adaptive Path, a Web design consultancy, coined the AJAX moniker.
C# is Microsofts object-oriented .Net programming language that many consider a head-to-head competitor with Sun Microsystems Java.
Google, for its part, unveiled a rival Java development framework and tool, known as the GWT (Google Web Toolkit) at the JavaOne conference in mid-May.
Dion Almaer, an AJAX expert and co-founder of Ajaxian.com, said he believes Script# will go head-to-head against Googles GWT for developer mind share.
“I think that Script# is combating the same need: Developers on platform X want to stay using the language/tools that they like,” Almaer said.
“If X equals Java they will use GWT; if X equals C# they will use Script#.”
Microsofts Kothari did not respond to a request by the time this article was published for additional information on how, when and whether Microsoft is interested in commercializing Script#.
But Kothari did blog some details on his plans for his pet project.