A method for managing a state of a server-side control object (314-322; 404-418) corresponding to a client-side user interface element incorporated in the authoring language code defining a web page displayed on a client, the method comprising: creating the server-side control object in the control object hierarchy to process the client-side user interface element, wherein the control object hierarchy comprises a plurality of server-side control objects; receiving from the client a transportable state structure including state information indicating a state value for at least one server-side control object in the control object hierarchy, extracting the state information from the transportable state structure; and loading the state value from the state information into a property of the server-side control object, if the state value is associated with the server-side control object; wherein the extracting operation comprises: extracting from the transportable state structure a state value associated with a property of the at least one server-side control object; and identifying a hierarchical location of the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy based on hierarchical information within the transportable state structure; and wherein the loading operation comprises: locating the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy based on the hierarchical location identified in the identifying operation; traversing the hierarchical location of the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy; and storing the state value into the property of the server-side control object. creating the server-side control object in the control object hierarchy to process the client-side user interface element, wherein the control object hierarchy comprises a plurality of server-side control objects; receiving from the client a transportable state structure including state information indicating a state value for at least one server-side control object in the control object hierarchy, extracting the state information from the transportable state structure; and loading the state value from the state information into a property of the server-side control object, if the state value is associated with the server-side control object; wherein the extracting operation comprises: extracting from the transportable state structure a state value associated with a property of the at least one server-side control object; and identifying a hierarchical location of the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy based on hierarchical information within the transportable state structure; extracting from the transportable state structure a state value associated with a property of the at least one server-side control object; and identifying a hierarchical location of the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy based on hierarchical information within the transportable state structure; and wherein the loading operation comprises: locating the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy based on the hierarchical location identified in the identifying operation; traversing the hierarchical location of the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy; and storing the state value into the property of the server-side control object. locating the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy based on the hierarchical location identified in the identifying operation; traversing the hierarchical location of the server-side control object within the control object hierarchy; and storing the state value into the property of the server-side control object.