AJAX
Ajax is complex, as it pulls various elements of client and serverside programming together in a closely integrated relationship. This topic is too broad for a simple discussion over IRC, so we’ve put together this page to help us help you. Before we go over the details of Ajax please be aware that this topic requires a solid understanding of Javascript, at least one server-side language, and of the client-server relationship.
Ajax Topics
An overview of Ajax
Ajax is a buzzword that stands for Asynchronous Javascript And XML. Although the term was coined in Febuary of 2005, the technique behind it has existed in one form or another for several years.
Ajax Related Tutorials
Framework Independant Tutorials
- W3 Schools Ajax Tutorial: Includes a good overview. Simple and easy to follow, exactly what you’d expect from W3 Schools.
- Mastering Ajax, Part 1: Introduction to Ajax. Understanding Ajax, a productive approach to building Web sites, and how it works.
- Mastering Ajax, Part 2: Make asynchronous requests with Javascript and Ajax. Use XMLHttpRequest? for Web requests.
- Mastering Ajax, Part 3: Advanced requests and responses in Ajax. Gain a complete understanding of HTTP status codes, ready states, and the XMLHttpRequest? object.
- How to Learn Ajax in 20 minutes. Shows how to do simple Ajax with a PHP backend.
Framework Specific Tutorials
Prototype
- Easy Ajax with Prototype.
- Using Prototype.js and PeriodicalExecuter.
- Preloading Data
with Ajax and JSON. - Cross Domain Ajax using Prototype.js and Ajax Extended.
Dojo
Ajax Frameworks
- domapi Free for personal use, with commercial licenses available cheap. A very solid toolkit with tons more than just Ajax support, and written by our own [Torgo].
- Prototype Open source. Made popular by the Ruby on Rails crowd. Lightweight with some nice features.
- Yahoo! User Interface Library All the components in the Yahoo! User Interface Library have been released as open source under a BSD license and are free for all uses.
- Dojo Browser Toolkit. An open source Javascript toolkit.
Ajax Related Articles
- Ajax: A New Approach to Web Applications. The Adaptive Path article that started all the Ajax hype.
- del.icio.us / popular / ajax. Popular items tagged with Ajax at the del.icio.us social bookmarking site.
- Ajaxian. Ajax and Web 2.0 blog.
- Quirksmode: The Ajax Response.
Books
You’d have to have shit for brains to be stupid enough to buy a book on Ajax when all the info you need is freely available on the net, but hey, that sounds like half the people on our channel. If you want, check out how much these books cost, then paypal that amount to me after you use one of the free tutorials linked above.
- Professional Ajax. Wrox publishing, Feb 2006.
- Foundations of Ajax. APress, Oct 2005.
- Ajax in Action. Manning Publications Oct 2005.