Dear Kevin I'm a .net developer, working entirely in web standards and producing semantically correct xhtml output from server side code. There is little or no exra effort required to produce output on a web page (in ASP.NET - a web form) that meets web standards. Your developer can output data to the user interface using a Repeater control and item templates that you can format for him. You don't need to develop composite controls for this, although you can. In any event, if the output needs to be formatted in a composite control then all well and good. This is just extending the maintainability and reuse that both css in design and object oriented code development (all .net is OO) promote. This concept is tried and tested. The developer is essentially crossing boundaries here. If he cannot accept the extra effort required to bring an .aspx page into the design that you have produced, why not suggest that you sit with him and iron out the bugs. I would even suggest that you consider picking up the basics of aspx page development, not the code, but the web controls that are available in .net and see if you can suggest how you can work more closely on the output generated by the server to ensure that he understands the benefits of a collaboration.
I'm in the fortunate (IMHO) position of working on both aspects of the web application, so I understand the dichotomy that exists in this scenario. Basically, a coder is mostly concerned with the complex wiring of an application and is basically satisfied that the application runs correctly, behaves according to the specification and handles errors gracefully, whilst operating as efficiently as the server environment allows. The designer is anxious to control the output to the user interface and to ensure this meets the design brief. The two parties are really working towards the same goal. They just start from opposite ends of the process. >From what you say, selling the concept of web standards to the developer is not going to be the answer. Instead try to encourage him to work with you and ask him to help you understand the issues he faces. If you go to the meeting on Monday expecting a bloodbath, that is what will happen irrespective of what attitude the developer brings to the table. It will do neither you nor the developer any good if this happens, and the cause of web standards will not have won any support. I urge you to believe strongly enough in your arguments to not wield them as a weapon. Believe it or not, Microsoft, who get plenty of criticism (sometimes justifiably) have made all the tools available to developers to build standards compliant applications. The Developer Qualifiactions (MCAD, MCSD and the new Microsoft .net exams) all promote web standards based application development. If the developer has chosen to work with this technology, encourage him to embrace the principles of good application design. I wish you all the very best with this. If I can be of any help please contact me off list. Peter Goddard -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of kvnmcwebn Sent: 16 March 2006 22:03 To: wsg@webstandardsgroup.org Subject: Re: [WSG] .net question thanks geoff, i guess thats i will have to be level headed in my aproach. ****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ****************************************************** ****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
