AJAX: Adding Pizzazz to That Web App

Donnell Payne, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Computer Science, Texas Christian University

d.payne@tcu.edu

Abstract

AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript with XML) is a term coined in 2005 to describe a new developmental technique being employed to create highly interactive web applications. The popularity of AJAX exploded with its use in such notable applications as Google Suggest – you know the one, suggested terms update as you type, almost instantly. The cornerstone technologies of all AJAX applications are JavaScript and the XMLHttpRequest object used to exchange small amounts of data with the server and then update the web page on the fly, without the need to reload the page. This added interactivity and responsiveness boosts the application’s usability, functionality, and minimizes network traffic.

This presentation will introduce AJAX, identify the basic technologies needed to build AJAX applications, provide an overview of the XMLHttpRequest object which is the core of AJAX applications, and provide illustrations that will allow you to return to your classroom and incorporate this exciting technology into web related class projects.