Beginning Ajax (Programmer to Programmer)

Using proven examples and explaining concepts step by step, this book shows you how building Ajax-enabled sites and applications allows more interactive user interfaces than ever before. You'll learn about the differences in capabilities between client-side and server-side development techniques, as well as how Ajax crosses this boundary. You'll also discover how Ajax techniques can be summed up by patterns (which are development models that you'll use repeatedly). With a mastery of these techniques, you'll be able to breathe new life into your Web sites.

As one of the prime enablers of innovations such as wikis, blogs, and third-party APIs, Ajax is redefining the way Web applications are created. This book familiarizes you with the core technologies behind Ajax, and shows you how to start building Web sites using Ajax techniques. It explains concepts step-by-step, using proven examples, so that you can immediately begin applying the information.

You'll see how building Ajax-enabled sites and applications allows more interactive user interfaces than ever before. You'll learn about the differences in capabilities between client-side and server-side development techniques, as well as how Ajax crosses this boundary. You'll discover how Ajax techniques can be summed up by patterns (which are development models that you'll use repeatedly). With a mastery of these techniques, you'll be able to breathe new life into your Web sites and applications.

What you will learn from this book

• Ajax pros and cons so you know the best way to use it

• The fundamental JavaScript and DOM techniques underlying Ajax

• Methods for using the XMLHttpRequest object (the primary Ajax enabler) to call ASP.NET, PHP, and Java applications

• How to store and transmit XML data that many Ajax applications use

• How to debug JavaScript in your Ajax applications manually and how to write error handlers

• Ways to combine applications through Web services or APIs to create mashups

Who this book is for

This book is for Web developers who want to start building sites using Ajax techniques and are familiar with (X)HTML, JavaScript, and basic CSS.The reader will also need to be familiar with either PHP or ASP.NET for the server-side examples, although an extensive knowledge of either is not expected.