What’s AJAX?
AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a newly coined term for two powerful browser features that have been around for years, but were overlooked by many web developers until recently when applications such as Gmail, Google Suggest, and Google Maps hit the streets.
Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, or Ajax (pronounced “Aye-Jacks”), is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications using a combination of XHTML (or HTML) and CSS for marking up and styling information. (XML is commonly used, although any format will work, including preformatted HTML, plain text, JSON and even EBML).
The Document Object Model manipulated through JavaScript to dynamically display and interact with the information presented. The XMLHttpRequest object to exchange data asynchronously with the webserver. In some Ajax frameworks and in some situations, an IFrame object is used instead of the XMLHttpRequest object to exchange data with the webserver.
Like DHTML, LAMP, or SPA, Ajax is not a technology in itself, but a term that refers to the use of a group of technologies together. In fact, derivative/composite technologies based substantially upon Ajax, such as AFLAX, are already appearing. Ajax applications are mostly executed on the user’s computer; they can perform a number of tasks without their performance being limited by the network. This permits the development of interactive applications, in particular reactive and rich graphic user interfaces.
Ajax applications target a well-documented platform, implemented by all major browsers on most existing platforms. While it is uncertain that this compatibility will resist the advent of the next generations of browsers (in particular, Firefox), at the moment, Ajax applications are effectively cross-platform. While the Ajax platform is more restricted than the Java platform, current Ajax applications effectively fill part of the one-time niche of Java applets: extending the browser with portable, lightweight mini-applications.
Ajax isn’t a technology. It’s really several technologies, each flourishing in its own right, coming together in powerful new ways. Ajax incorporates:
- standards-based presentation using XHTML and CSS;
- dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object Model;
- data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT; * asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest;
- and JavaScript binding everything together.
Who’s Using Ajax?
Google is making a huge investment in developing the Ajax approach. All of the major products Google has introduced over the last year — Orkut, Gmail, the latest beta version of Google Groups, Google Suggest, and Google Maps — are Ajax applications. (For more on the technical nuts and bolts of these Ajax implementations, check out these excellent analyses of Gmail, Google Suggest, and Google Maps.) Others are following suit: many of the features that people love in Flickr depend on Ajax, and Amazon’s A9.com search engine applies similar techniques.
These projects demonstrate that Ajax is not only technically sound, but also practical for real-world applications. This isn’t another technology that only works in a laboratory. And Ajax applications can be any size, from the very simple, single-function Google Suggest to the very complex and sophisticated Google Maps.
At Adaptive Path, we’ve been doing our own work with Ajax over the last several months, and we’re realizing we’ve only scratched the surface of the rich interaction and responsiveness that Ajax applications can provide. Ajax is an important development for Web applications, and its importance is only going to grow. And because there are so many developers out there who already know how to use these technologies, we expect to see many more organizations following Google’s lead in reaping the competitive advantage Ajax provides.
Moving Forward the biggest challenges in creating Ajax applications are not technical. The core Ajax technologies are mature, stable, and well understood. Instead, the challenges are for the designers of these applications: to forget what we think we know about the limitations of the Web, and begin to imagine a wider, richer range of possibilities.
Should I consider AJAX?
AJAX definitely has the buzz right now, but it might not be the right thing for you. AJAX is limited to the latest browsers, exposes browser compatibility issues, and requires new skill-sets for many. There is a good blog entry by Alex Bosworth on AJAX Mistakes which is a good read before you jump full force into AJAX.
On the other hand you can achieve highly interactive rich web applications that are responsive and appear really fast. While it is debatable as to whether an AJAX-based application is really faster, the user feels a sense of immediacy because they are given active feedback while data is exchanged in the background. If you are an early adopter and can handle the browser compatibility issues, and are willing to learn some more skills, then AJAX is for you. It may be prudent to start off AJAX-ifying a small portion or component of your application first. We all love technology, but just remember the purpose of AJAX is to enhance your user’s experience and not hinder it.
What parts of the HTML_AJAX API are stable?
We don’t have a list right now, but most of the API is stable as of 0.3.0. There should be no major changes at this point, though there will be lots of new additions.
Does AJAX work with Java?
Absolutely. Java is a great fit for AJAX! You can use Java Enterprise Edition servers to generate AJAX client pages and to serve incoming AJAX requests, manage server-side states for AJAX clients, and connect AJAX clients to your enterprise resources. The JavaServer Faces component model is a great fit for defining and using AJAX components.
What is the minimum version of PHP that needs to be running in order to use HTML_AJAX?
The oldest PHP version I’ve fully tested HTML_AJAX is 4.3.11, but it should run on 4.2.0 without any problems. (Testing reports from PHP versions older then 4.3.11 would be appreciated.)
Why does HTML_AJAX hang on some server installs
If you run into an HTML_AJAX problem only on some servers, chances are your running into a problem with output compression. If the output compression is handled in the PHP config we detect that and do the right thing, but if its done from an apache extension we have no way of knowing its going to compress the body. Some times setting HTML_AJAX::sendContentLength to false fixes the problem, but in other cases you’ll need to disabled the extension for the AJAX pages.
I’ve also seen problems caused by debugging extensions like XDebug, disabling the extension on the server page usually fixes that. Questions dealing with Using HTML_AJAX, and general JavaScript development.
Describe the formats and protocols used by AJAX.
Ajax uses HTTP’s GET or POST. AJAX also uses XMLHttpRequest protocol for requesting to the webserver. AJAX uses JSON format to communicate between client and server. UED or URL encoded data formats can also be used.
What are the security issues with AJAX?
The Ajax calls are sent in plain text format, this might lead to insecure database access. The data gets stored on the clients browser, thus making the data available to anyone. It also allows monitoring browsing sessions by inserting scripts.
Won’t my server-side framework provide me with AJAX?
You may be benefiting from AJAX already. Many existing Java-based frameworks already have some level of AJAX interactions and new frameworks and component libraries are being developed to provide better AJAX support. I won’t list all the Java frameworks that use AJAX here, out of fear of missing someone, but you can find a good list at www.ajaxpatterns.org/Java_Ajax_Frameworks. If you have not chosen a framework yet it is recommended you consider using JavaServer Faces or a JavaServer Faces based framework. JavaServer Faces components can be created and used to abstract many of the details of generating JavaScript, AJAX interactions, and DHTML processing and thus enable simple AJAX used by JSF application developer and as plug-ins in JSF compatible IDE’s, such as Sun Java Studio Creator.
Describe the formats and protocols used by AJAX.
Ajax uses HTTP’s GET or POST. AJAX also uses XMLHttpRequest protocol for requesting to the webserver. AJAX uses JSON format to communicate between client and server. UED or URL encoded data formats can also be used.
What are the security issues with AJAX?
The Ajax calls are sent in plain text format, this might lead to insecure database access. The data gets stored on the clients browser, thus making the data available to anyone. It also allows monitoring browsing sessions by inserting scripts.
What is the disadvantage of AJAX?
The disadvantages of AJAX are:
- Search engines would not be able to index an AJAX application.
- The server information can not be accessed within AJAX.
- AJAX is not well integrated with any browser.
- ActiveX requests are enabled only in IE 5 and IE6
- Data of all requests is URL-encoded, which increases the size of the request.
How is encoding handled in AJAX?
Ways to handle encoding in AJAX:
- Using encodeActionURL() method to refresh the complete page
- Using encodeResourceURL() method to partially update a page.
Describe how to handle concurrent AJAX requests?
JavaScipt closures can be used for handling concurrent requests. A function can be written to handle such requests. Once processing of code is over, URL and the call back function to call can be passed as parameters. These parameters are passed to the AJAXInteraction(url, callback) object. Closures insure that the proper callback function associated with a specific AJAX interaction is called.
Describe how to handle concurrent AJAX requests?
JavaScipt closures can be used for handling concurrent requests. A function can be written to handle such requests. Once processing of code is over, URL and the call back function to call can be passed as parameters. These parameters are passed to the AJAXInteraction(url, callback) object. Closures insure that the proper callback function associated with a specific AJAX interaction is called.
When do I use a synchronous versus an asynchronous request?
They don’t call it AJAX for nothing! A synchronous request would block in page event processing and I don’t see many use cases where a synchronous request is preferable.
Describe how to create AJAX objects.
Ajax Objects can be created by the following syntax: Var ajax= New ajaxObject(‘page path’). Here page path is the URL you want the Object to call. The URL must be of the same domain as the webpage.
What are limitations of Ajax?
Back functionality cannot work because the dynamic pages don’t register themselves to the browsers history engine. Hence the need of Iframe becomes essential.
- The page cannot be bookmarked if implemented using Ajax.
- If java script is disabled , Ajax will not work.
- Because different components of the pages are loaded at different times, response time may be slow.
- Because different components of the pages are loaded at different times it may create confusion for the user.
What is the role of Script Manager in Ajax?
Script Manager, as the name suggests is used to manage the client-side script of Ajax. Since Ajax uses JavaScript, there needs to be a mediator to manage this script and restrict a particular version to a browser. A Script manager is present on every page where Ajax is used to enable the Ajax Libraries. These Libraries in turn helps to implement the core Functionality of Ajax: Partial rendering.
What is synchronous request in AJAX?
Synchronous request means that the processing will stop once the request has been sent to the server till the reply comes back. The browser freezes and you are not allowed to perform any task or send any request.
List out differences between AJAX and JavaScript.
JavaScript is a client-side script, used to control a web page at the client-side once it has downloaded. The validations in case of JavaScript will be handled particularly on client’s browser and no server-side requests will be handled. AJAX allows JavaScript to communicate with the remote script and receive the response from the server, without the need to reload the entire page. JavaScript is the base on which Ajax works.
Can Ajax be implemented in browsers that do not support the XmlHttpRequest object?
Yes. This is possible using remote scripts.
Explain about the multimedia functions of ajax?
Ajax lacks built-in multimedia functions. It is not so supportive of inbuilt applications but uses other browser functionalities and plugin`s such as SVG, Quicktime and flash plugin. General multimedia for ajax is achieved through mashup and hack. These multimedia functions can be obtained from outside which helps in building excellent applications.
When should I use a Java applet instead of AJAX?
What are Ajax Extensions?
The ASP.NET Ajax Extensions are set of Ajax-based controls that work in ASP.NET 2 (or above) based applications. Of course, they also need the Ajax runtime which is actually the Ajax Framework 1.0. ASP.NET Ajax Extensions 1.0 have to be downloaded to run with ASP.NET 2.0 The new ASP.NET 3.5 Framework comes with the Ajax Library 3.5 (containing the Ajax Extensions 3.5). So in order to use the latest Ajax, simply download .NET 3.5 Framework.
Should I use an HTTP GET or POST for my AJAX calls?
AJAX requests should use an HTTP GET request when retrieving data where the data will not change for a given request URL. An HTTP POST should be used when state is updated on the server. This is in line with HTTP idempotency recommendations and is highly recommended for a consistent web application architecture.
Is the server or the client in control in AJAX?
AJAX techniques can be implemented by server only, client or, or even mix of both. It depends on what technology and architecture one chooses. When providing complete control to the server, the server ensures that the client pages are in sync with the server. Whereas, one could use javascript and apply AJAX at the client level through it. The most common approach is to use a mix of server side and client side control.
When should I use an Java applet instead of AJAX?
Applets provide a rich experience on the client side and there are many things they can do that an AJAX application cannot do, such as custom data streaming, graphic manipulation, threading, and advanced GUIs. While DHTML with the use of AJAX has been able to push the boundaries on what you can do on the client, there are some things that it just cannot do. The reason AJAX is so popular is that it only requires functionality built into the browser (namely DHTML and AJAX capabilities). The user does not need to download and/or configure plugins. It is easy to incrementally update functionality and know that that functionality will readily available, and there are not any complicated deployment issues.
That said, AJAX-based functionality does need to take browser differences into consideration. This is why we recommend using a JavaScript library such as Dojo which abstracts browser differences. So the “bottom line” is: If you are creating advanced UIs where you need more advanced features on the client where you want UI accuracy down to the pixel, to do complex computations on the client, use specialized networking techniques, and where you know that the applet plugin is available for your target audience, applets are the way to go. AJAX/DHTML works well for applications where you know the users are using the latest generation of browsers, where DHTML/AJAX “good enough” for you, and where your developers have JavaScript/DHTML/AJAX skills. Many amazing things can be done with AJAX/DHTML but there are limitations.
AJAX and applets can be used together in the same UIs with AJAX providing the basic structure and applets providing more advanced functionality. Java can communicate to JavaScript using the Live-Connect APIs. The question should not be should framed as do I use AJAX or applets, but rather which technology makes the best sense for what you are doing. AJAX and applets do not have to be mutually exclusive.
What kinds of applications is Ajax best suited for?
We don’t know yet. Because this is a relatively new approach, our understanding of where Ajax can best be applied is still in its infancy. Sometimes the traditional web application model is the most appropriate solution to a problem.
Do Ajax applications always deliver a better experience than traditional web applications?
Not necessarily. Ajax gives interaction designers more flexibility. However, the more power we have, the more caution we must use in exercising it. We must be careful to use Ajax to enhance the user experience of our applications, not degrade it.
Are there any frameworks available to help speedup development with AJAX?
There are several browser-side frameworks available, each with their own uniqueness…