The Importance of Ajax on The Java Platform
If you have used Flickr or Gmail, you should be well aware of the fact that new web applications are becoming prevalent on the web. Many of these applications are prominently seen in programs like Flickr, and you are probably wandering what makes them distinct from traditional web applications. The primary difference between traditional web applications and those which use Ajax is the fact that Ajax applications have the capabilities of a desktop application. Web applications that use Ajax will often not need to use plug-ins or any features which are specific to browsers.
Most older applications are comprised of HTML pages, and if you want to change the content on the page, you must take the time to refresh or reload it. Some of the technologies which have changed this include CSS and JavaScript. Both CSS and JavaScript have become advanced enough to be used for the creation of web applications which are highly dynamic. Most importantly, these web applications are compatible with a large number of browsers. There are a number of techniques that web developers can use today to make their applications much more dynamic and interactive.
The Powerful Combination of Ajax and JavaScript
When an HTML page is used in conjunction with JavaScript technology, this page can contact the server which loaded it and request content. This content may be altered in the form of XML documents, as well regular text, HTML, or JSON. The JavaScript system can then take this content and alter the Document Object Model within the HTML page. Ajax is used as a broad term to describe this interactive model. However, it should be emphasized that Ajax is not entirely new. The underlying technology for Ajax has been available for a number of years.
However, the proliferation of this technology has been hampered by a number of technical barriers. The biggest barrier that Ajax developers faced was the lack of an advanced remote scripting system. To deal with these problems, developers were forced to use Java applets, plug-ins, and frames which were hidden from the eyes of the user. While these tools did create a certain level of interactivity on the web, the system still was heavily limited in its true capabilities.
The Underlying Structure Behind Ajax
One thing that has allowed web technologies to become much more interactive is the introduction of XMLHttpRequest object. This object was created within JavaScript runtime for the most prominent browsers. It is this single object that has played an important role in the interactive web that we see today. Almost all of the mainstream browsers today utilize it. While there are some differences in support between CSS and JavaScript technology, many of these issues can be managed without a great deal of effort.
While there are some browsers that are not easily manageable, they can be corrected through the use of Dojo or the Yahoo User Interface Library. Overall, a standard programming model has been created which will deal with any browsers that are not easily manageable. Dojo is very prominent because it has dealt with issues such as graphics and accessibility. Thus, many of the problems that Ajax developers faced in the past have been largely solved. There are a number of factors which make Ajax unique.
Ajax as a Distinct Tool
Clients which are based in Ajax use control logic pages that have JavaScript technology built in. The page will be responsible for the interaction with JavaScript, and this will be based on events such as document loading or the click of a mouse. With Ajax, a clear distinction is made between the presentation of logic and the underlying data. Most server-side applications will generate HTML documents for each client event. This is why users have to refresh the browser if they want to see information altered on a web page that does not use Ajax.
Ajax can be used for a number of features, and some of these include data validation in real time, load on demand, and autocompletion. It is these features which allow Ajax applications to be so much more interactive than their counterparts. While it has taken some time, Ajax has finally become prominent enough to be useful on the web.
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