Written for experienced web developers, Professional
Ajax shows how to combine tried-and-true CSS, XML, and JavaScript technologies
into Ajax. This provides web developers with the ability to create more
sophisticated and responsive user interfaces and break free from the
"click-and-wait" standard that has dominated the web since its introduction.
Professional Ajax discusses the range of request brokers (including the
hidden frame technique, iframes, and XMLHttp) and explains when one should be
used over another. You will also learn different Ajax techniques and patterns
for executing client-server communication on your web site and in web
applications. By the end of the book, you will have gained the practical
knowledge necessary to implement your own Ajax solutions. In addition to a
full chapter case study showing how to combine the book's Ajax techniques into
an AjaxMail application, Professional Ajax uses many other examples to build
hands-on Ajax experience. Some of the other examples include:
- web site widgets for a news ticker, weather information, web search, and
site search
- preloading pages in online articles
- incremental form validation
- using Google Web APIs in Ajax
- creating an autosuggest text box
Professional Ajax readers
should be familiar with CSS, XML, JavaScript, and HTML so you can jump right
in with the book and begin learning Ajax patterns, XPath and XSLT support in
browsers, syndication, web services, JSON, and the Ajax Frameworks, JPSpan,
DWR, and Ajax.NET.
