How can I reset the AJAX Timer component if the mouse is moved!

I have a few pages that use UpdatePanels and Timer components to refresh the content periodically. However I need to have it refresh only when the mouse hasn't been moved for a minute so it doesn't interrupt the user.

I have been using a javascript timer to refresh a custom component that uses callbacks but it is interfering with the AJAX UpdatePanel and causing State Corruption so I would like an all AJAX solution if possible.

Question 1: Can mouse movement reset an Ajax Timer, if so how?

Question 2: Is there a way to trigger the UpdatePanel from Javascript?

1. Use the method show here to get a refrence to the behavior for the timer, thenhttp://ajax.asp.net/docs/ClientReference/Sys.UI/BehaviorClass/BehaviorGetBehaviorsByName.aspx, call

Sys$UI$_Timer$_stopTimer & then this

Sys$UI$_Timer$_startTimer

Not sure if that will work exactly, but, through that or somthing similar you should be able to manipulate the timer on the client side.

2. Take a look at this post, it has a few differnt examples of how to do an update from javascript:http://forums.asp.net/thread/1541012.aspx

Thanks for the help there. I now need to figure out which behaviour name to look for in the timer, i guess?

Easily referencing behavior instances

It used to be tricky to get a reference to a behavior from client script, but now you can simply add a "BehaviorID" attribute to your control's property specification and it will be easily accessible on the client via ASP.NET AJAX's Sys.Application.findComponent(id) method or its $find(id) shortcut. (Note: If BehaviorID isn't specified, the behavior's ID on the client will be the same as the extender control's ClientID.) See DynamicPopulate or ResizableControl for examples.

I guess I should have added... that its used for the AJAX toolkit, so you might not be able to specify the BehaviorID, but you still should be able to get it with the find method.

I have tried the following code but it doesn't change the timer, it still goes off after a minute:

code = "function MainMenuPage_onmousemove(){"
code += " var b = $find('" & MT.ClientID & "');"
code += " if(b){"
code += " mouse_moved=1;"
code += " b.Sys$UI$_Timer$_stopTimer;"
code += " b.Sys$UI$_Timer$_startTimer;"
code += " }"
code += "}"

Please excuse the code formatting above (I create strings of the code snippets I need for the page and then useRegisterClientScriptBlock)

I'm not receiving any Javascript errors when I move the mouse. I know it's finding MT.ClientID as I use another javascript timer to display the mouse_moved variable. Perhaps I'm not changing the actual instance of the timer? Wild guess here. I really need to have more time to study the nitty gritty bits of AJAX but as it is I hardly have time to do this much.

I appreciate your time on this. I hope you have more bright ideas because I'm fresh out.

I tested the below code & it seems to work ... notice how i removed the Sys$UI$_Timer$ from the method call and added a () at the end

 code ="function MainMenuPage_onmousemove(){"; code +=" var b = $find('" + Timer1.ClientID +"');"; code +=" if(b){"; code +=" mouse_moved=1;"; code +=" b._stopTimer();"; code +=" b._startTimer();"; code +=" }"; code +="}";

Awesome. That worked.

Thank you very much.