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Google Maps, Google Suggest, Gmail, Tada List—these are all examples of highly dynamic web applications. In the past, we had an awkward choice: a thick client or a thin client. With a thick client, we got rich user experiences but had to deal with an error-prone and time-consuming deployment process. With a thin client we got ease of deployment but had to sacrifice the user experience. |
An Ajax application is very similar to the web applications we’re already familiar with. The difference is that it incorporates an “Ajax engine” that negates the start-stop nature of traditional web interaction and drives the whole process along. A quick look at an Ajax application like Google Maps will demonstrate the improvement to user experience very clearly. Gone are the constant page-refreshes and instead, you’re presented with a smooth, responsive interface that seamlessly reacts to your requests. more »
What's Inside:
» Introducing Ajax
» Using the XMLHttpRequest Object
» Building the Ajax Developer’s Toolbox
» Exploring JavaScript Debugging Tools
» Testing JavaScript with JsUnit
» Putting It All Together
Sample Chapter:
This chapter is about Building the Ultimate Ajax Developer’s Toolbox. Download Chapter 5 »
Biographies:
Ryan Asleson is a software developer who lives and works in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. He holds a degree in chemistry from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Ryan has been building Web applications since 1998 and has extensive experience with JavaScript and Web development tools. He helped transition his organization from servlet-based content creation to JavaServer Pages (JSP) and has also maintained a corporate Web application framework based on Java Enterprise Edition. Ryan's interests include performance tuning and standards based development. When not working, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and doing outdoor activities like fishing, hunting, and water sports.
Nathaniel T. Schutta is a software engineer from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with extensive experience in the financial services arena primarily developing J2EE-based Web applications. He holds a master of science degree in software engineering from the University of Minnesota. For the last several years, he has focused on user interface design by contributing to corporate interface guidelines, and has consulted on a variety of web-based applications within his organization. A longtime member of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group, and a Sun Certified Web Component Developer, Nathaniel believes if the user can’t figure out your application, you’ve done something wrong. Along with his UI work, he has contributed to two corporate Java frameworks, developed training material, and lead several study groups. During the brief moments of warm weather found in his home state of Minnesota, he spends as much time on the golf course as his wife will tolerate. He’s currently exploring Ruby, Rails, and after recently making the switch, Mac OS X.
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