Microsoft Creates a CDN for AJAX and jQuery Libraries

In an attempt to lure developers and web sites to use ASP.NET, Microsoft has created a special CDN that serves Microsoft AJAX and jQuery scripts to all interested for free.

The scripts currently stored on Microsoft’s CDN are:

Microsoft AJAX v. 0909 (preview)

• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjax.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjax.debug.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjaxAdoNet.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjaxAdoNet.debug.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjaxDataContext.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjaxDataContext.debug.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjaxTemplates.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjaxTemplates.debug.js

jQuery v. 1.3.2

• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/jQuery/jquery-1.3.2.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/jQuery/jquery-1.3.2.min.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/jQuery/jquery-1.3.2-vsdoc.js
• http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/jQuery/jquery-1.3.2.min-vsdoc.js

To get such a script from the CDN, one needs to use the script tag in an ASP page as following:

<script src="http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/beta/0909/MicrosoftAjax.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

<script src="http://ajax.Microsoft.com/ajax/jquery-1.3.2.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Another way to load the scripts from CDN is by specifying EnableCdn=”true”:

<asp:ScriptManager ID=”SM1” EnableCdn=”true” runat=”server” />

Microsoft’s CDN also contains debug versions of the AJAX library and minified ones of the jQuery library.

The service is offered free of charge both to non-commercial and commercial applications, without the need for registration, according to the Terms of Use (docx).