Wednesday, September 14, 2016

How to POST JSON object to ASP.NET httphandler API using XmlHttpRequest and Javascript

This example show how to post a JSON object to asp.net http handler using xmlhttprequest in JavaScript.

Passing objects this way will help to maintain the same object model in UI , business object and database. Similar to MVC framework - but here you are building your own framework and have more control over the functionalities and performance.

JS
<script>

        function postData() {
            var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
            /*set the asp.net end point*/
            var url = "departmentAPI?action=add";
            /*set method as post*/
            xhr.open("POST", url, true);
            xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/json");
            xhr.onreadystatechange = function () {
                if (xhr.readyState == 4 && xhr.status == 200) {
                    var json = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
                    console.log(json)
                }
            }
            /*create object*/
            var department = {};
            department.department_name = "Finance";
            var data = JSON.stringify(department);
            /*post data to server*/
            xhr.send(data);

        }
        /*call the function*/
        postData();
    </script>


C#/.net

public class DepartmentAPI : IHttpHandler
{
JavaScriptSerializer serializer = new JavaScriptSerializer();
      public void ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)
        {
            /*read data from server side*/
            string jsonString = String.Empty;
            context.Request.InputStream.Position = 0;
            using (StreamReader inputStream = new StreamReader(context.Request.InputStream))
            {
                jsonString = inputStream.ReadToEnd();
            }
            DepartmentBO department = serializer.Deserialize<DepartmentBO>(jsonString);
        }


        public bool IsReusable
        {
            get { return true; }
        }
    }

}

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Set content in an iframe or load scripts in it asynchronously

Sometimes you may have to load the scripts or content inside and iframe. This will be helpful especially if you are loading an ad or video on a web page and do not want to slow down the whole web page. Given below is an example on how to load content inside an iframe asynchronously.


    <iframe id="myiframe" height="300" width="700"></iframe>
    <script>
        window.setTimeout(setIframeContent,1000);
        function setIframeContent() {
            //set content or script
            var html = '<body><div>my content</div><scr' + 'ipt>alert("test")</' + 'script></body>';
            //get reference to iframe and load the content to iframe
            var iframe = document.getElementById("myiframe");
            iframe.contentWindow.document.open();
            iframe.contentWindow.document.write(html);
            iframe.contentWindow.document.close();
           
        }

    </script>

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Add HTTP access control (CORS) to response

For security reasons, browsers restrict cross-origin HTTP requests initiated from within scripts.  For example, XMLHttpRequest follows the same-origin policy. So, a web application using XMLHttpRequest could only make HTTP requests to its own domain unless CORS headers are added  in the response.

Given below is the code to add CORS header to response in asp.net

HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", "domain.com" );
HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Credentials", "true");

If you want to include CORS header for requests from all domains, you have to format the referrer url to get the correct domain

public static string GetDomain(string referrer)
{
    string tmpReferrer = String.IsNullOrEmpty(referrer) || referrer.Length < 5 ? "" : referrer;

    // strip out the domain portion of the referring url, if there is a starting point
    if (tmpReferrer.Length > 0 && tmpReferrer.Substring(0, 4) == "http")
    {

        //remove string after first /
        if (tmpReferrer.IndexOf("/", 8) > 0)
        {
            tmpReferrer = tmpReferrer.Substring(0, tmpReferrer.IndexOf("/", 8));
        }

        //remove string after first ?
        if (tmpReferrer.IndexOf("?") > 0)
        {
            tmpReferrer = tmpReferrer.Substring(0, tmpReferrer.IndexOf("?"));
        }
    }
    else if (tmpReferrer.Length > 0)
    {
        //remove string after first /
        if (tmpReferrer.IndexOf("/") > 0)
        {
            tmpReferrer = tmpReferrer.Substring(0, tmpReferrer.IndexOf("/", 8));
        }

    }
    return tmpReferrer;
}

And then call the function to add domain name to CORS header

string referrer = HttpContext.Current.Request.ServerVariables["HTTP_REFERER"];
HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Origin", GetDomain(referrer));
HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("Access-Control-Allow-Credentials", "true");



JS code to call endpoint

var httpRequest = new XMLHttpRequest();
 httpRequest.open("GET", "http://somedomain.com/endpoint", true);
 httpRequest.withCredentials = true;
 httpRequest.send();
   
 httpRequest.onreadystatechange =  function () {
     if (httpRequest.readyState == 4) {//wait for request to complete
               
         console.log(httpRequest.responseText);
               
     }
 };

How to add semi transparent background

You can set semi transparent background on a div or any html element by adding below style -

background-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5) 0%,rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5) 100%), url(http://www.bestmanspeechestoasts.com/wp-content/themes/thesis/rotator/sample-4.jpg);


You can see the example here - http://codepen.io/deebujacob/pen/xVzRxw