'PageMethods' is undefined

[Robert Johnson]

I have an ASP.NET 3.5 (+SP1) Web application on a clean image, with no beta
versions of "Atlas" or the 1.1 Framework installed... XP Pro/SP3 + patches
and updates.

I'm getting the JavaScript error: 'PageMethods' is undefined when attempting
to execute this line:
PageMethods.ExecuteCommand(...)

I have googled this a bunch, and most of the issues and associated
resolution are nicely summarized in this small list:
http://chiragrdarji.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/page-methods-is-undefined/

.... but none of the issues presented there are relevant to me (or I have
verified that things are as they should be with respect to those particular
possible problems)... and I still am encountering the error.

In brief
1. I do have a ScriptManager with EnablePageMethods=true
2. The IIS Web site's virtual dir is not configured for 1.1 (but for clr
2.x)
3. the Web.config files match (between my app and a working sample app)...
has the WebServices section, etc...
4. I'm *not* using a pre-release version of Atlas (never installed on this
box)

What else can I look at?

I am fortunate to have a working example - same Framework version and all. I
have compared Web.config and the entries match. The big difference is that
the sample app is a Web site using the built-inWeb server, whereas my app is
the Web Application project type that using IIS.

Your suggestions are appreciated, as I'm feeling stuck on this one.

 

[Robert Johnson]

Here is the answer - for anybody researching this issue ('PageMethods' is
undefined):

I was getting that issue because my app didn't have any page method defined
(i.e., a public static method with the [System.Web.Services.WebMethod]
attribute).

You can reproduce the issue (really, non issue when you understand what's
going on) like this:

1. Create a new ASP.NET Web app

2. add a ScriptManager to default.aspx, and set EnablePageMethods="True"

3. run the app and view the page source.
You will see in the rendered html an *absence* of the following
PageMethods.prototype = {...}

4. Stop the app, then add a method to default.aspx.cs.
Make the method static and public decorated with the
[System.Web.Services.WebMethod] attribute.

5. Run the app and view the rendered page source. This time you will see
PageMethods.prototype = {...} in the page source.

Apparently ASP.NET will not define the PageMethods in the client markup if
there is no server-side page method to call. Makes perfect sense.

-HTH

 

[ktsang]

You need to make sure the webmethod you are calling is a static method