Professional Ajax

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. <p> 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: <ul> <li>web site widgets for a news ticker, weather information, web search, and site search <li>preloading pages in online articles <li>incremental form validation <li>using Google Web APIs in Ajax <li>creating an autosuggest text box </ul> 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.

Combining tried-and-true CSS, XML, and JavaScript™ technologies, Ajax 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. <p> This book 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. Each chapter builds on information in the previous chapters so that by the end of the book, you will have gained the practical knowledge necessary to implement your own Ajax solutions. <p> <b>What you will learn from this book</b> <ul> <li>Different methods for achieving Ajax communication and when to use each <li>A variety of Ajax design patterns to use in specific data retrieval circumstances <li>Techniques for using Ajax with RSS and Atom to produce a web-based news aggregator <li>How to use JavaScript Object Notation as an alternate data transmission format for Ajax communications <li>How to create Ajax widgets, such as a weather display and news ticker, that can be included in your web site </ul> <p> <b>Who this book is for</b> <p> This book is for web developers who want to enhance the usability of their sites and applications. Familiarity with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS is necessary, as is experience with a server-side language such as PHP or a .NET language. <p> Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

<b>Nicholas C. Zakas</b> has a BS degree in Computer Science from Merrimack College and an MBA degree from Endicott College. He is the author of <i>Professional JavaScript for Web Developers</i> as well as several online articles. Nicholas has worked in web development for more than five years and has helped develop web solutions in use at some of the largest companies in the world. Nicholas can be reached through his web site at www.nczonline.net. <p> <b>Jeremy McPeak</b> began tinkering with web development as a hobby in 1998. Currently working in the IT department of a school district, Jeremy has experience developing web solutions with JavaScript, PHP, and C#. He has written several online articles covering topics such as XSLT, WebForms, and C#. <p> <b>Joe Fawcett</b> started programming in the 1970s and worked briefly in IT after leaving full-time education. He then pursued a more checkered career before returning to software development in 1994. In 2003, he was awarded the title Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in XML for community contributions and technical expertise. Joe currently works in London as a developer for The Financial Training Company, which provides professional certifications and business training.