Professional Ajax 2nd Edition provides a developer-level tutorial
of Ajax techniques, patterns, and use cases. The book begins by
exploring the roots of Ajax, covering how the evolution of the web
and new technologies directly led to the development of Ajax
techniques. A detailed discussion of how frames, JavaScript,
cookies, XML, and XMLHttp requests (XHR) related to Ajax is
included. After this introduction, the book moves on to cover the
implementation of specific Ajax techniques. Request brokers such as
hidden frames, dynamic iframes, and XHR are compared and
contrasted, explaining when one method should be used over another.
To make this discussion clearer, a brief overview of HTTP requests
and responses is included.
Once a basic understanding of the various request types is
discussed, the book moves on to provide in-depth examples of how
and when to use Ajax in a web site or web application. Different
data transmission formats, including plain text, HTML, XML, and
JSON are discussed for their advantages and disadvantages. Also
included is a discussion on web services and how they may be used
to perform Ajax techniques. Next, more complex topics are covered.
A chapter introducing a request management framework explores how
to manage all of the requests inside of an Ajax application. Ajax
debugging techniques are also discussed.
The last part of the book walks through the creation of two
full-fledged Ajax web applications. The first, FooReader.NET, is an
Ajax-powered RSS reader. The second, called AjaxMail, is an
Ajax-enabled email system. Both of these applications incorporate
many of the techniques discussed throughout the book.
Professional Ajax 2nd edition is written for Web application
developers looking to enhance the usability of their web sites and
web applications and intermediate JavaScript developers looking to
further understand the language. Readers should have familiarity
with XML, XSLT, Web Services, PHP or C#, HTML, CSS. This book is
not aimed at beginners without a basic understanding of the
aforementioned technologies. Also, a good understanding of
JavaScript is vitally important to understanding this book. Those
readers without such knowledge should instead refer to books such
as Beginning JavaScript, Second Edition (Wrox, 2004, ISBN:
978-0-7645-5587-9) and Professional JavaScript for Web Developers
(Wrox, 2005, ISBN: 978-0-7645-7908-0).
Professional Ajax 2nd edition adds nearly 200 pages of new and
expanded coverage compared to the first edition. Some of the new
topics covered here include:
And of course the Second Edition retains and updates the core
first edition content including:
- the range of request brokers (including the hidden frame
technique, iframes, and XMLHttp) and explains when one should be
used over another
- different Ajax techniques and patterns for executing
client-server communication
- Ajax patterns including predictive fetch, page preloading,
submission throttling, incremental field and form validation,
periodic refresh, multi-stage download and more
- Syndication with RSS, Atom, and XParser
- JSON and creating an autosuggest textbox example
- web site widgets for a news ticker, weather information, web
search, and site search
- Ajax Frameworks JSpan, DWR, and Ajax.NET Professional
- A Web-based RSS/Atom aggregator case study
- An AjaxMail case study
This book is also available as part of the 4-book JavaScript and
Ajax Wrox Box (ISBN: 0470227818). This 4-book set includes:
- Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (ISBN:
0764579088)
- Professional Ajax 2nd edition (ISBN: 0470109491)
- Professional Web 2.0 Programming (ISBN: 0470087889)
- Professional Rich Internet Applications: Ajax and Beyond (ISBN:
0470082801)