Question: Let's take a **really simple example** on using jQuery to ajaxify our page...

```
$.load("getOrders.aspx", {limit: 25}, function(data) {
    // info as JSON is available in the data variable
});

```

and in the ASP.NET (**HTML part**) page *(only one line)*

```
<%@ Page Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" 
         CodeFile="getOrders.aspx.cs" Inherits="getOrders" %>

```

and in the ASP.NET (**Code Behind**) page

```
public partial class getOrders : System.Web.UI.Page
{
    protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        string lmt = Request["limit"];
        List<Orders> ords = dll.GetOrders(limit);

        WriteOutput( Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(ords) );
    }

    private void WriteOutput(string s) 
    {
        Response.Clear();
        Response.Write(s);
        Response.Flush();
        Response.End();
    }
}

```

**my question is**

Should it be 

```
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)

```

or

```
protected void Page_Init(object sender, EventArgs e)

```

So we can save some milliseconds as we don't actually need to process the events for the page, or will `Page_Init` lack of some sorting of a method by the time it is called?

**P.S.** Currently works fine in both methods, but I just want to understand the ins and outs of choosing one method over the other

Answer: 
Either one would work, because you're essentially throwing out the page lifecycle by calling response.Clear() and response.End(). Technically you could even go as far as putting that code in prerender and it would work. By accessing the Response object you're basically going over the head of the page and cutting it off mid-stride so that you can perform a much simpler task. 

I assume you simply do not want the page lifecycle at all and simply want to return JSON from this page? If so, I highly recommend implementing it as a Generic Handler (ashx). In this case you'd simply use context.Request["limit"] and context.Response.Write in your Process method. The benefit of doing this is that you don't have all the overheads of .NET preparing the page class and starting the page lifecycle, and are instead using a file intended for the task you're doing.

It is nice to understand the page lifecycle, as shown in other answers, but realistically you're not using it at all and you'd be better off moving away from the page class entirely.
You can very well use the Page Init method. But if you have controls in your page and want to access any property of those controls then better to use the Page load event, but in your case you don't need to use page load event. 

You can go through the [Asp.Net Page Life cycle here](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178472.aspx) to better understand which event to use.