Ajax: The Complete Reference

The Definitive Guide to Ajax Web Application Development

Evolve from the click-and-wait programming pattern to the latest Web 2.0 paradigm using this comprehensive guide to Ajax. Written by Web development expert Thomas Powell, the book lays out every feature of Ajax alongside detailed explanations and real-world code examples.

Ajax: The Complete Reference explains how to create and test Ajax-enabled Web applications using the XMLHttpRequest object as well as alternative JavaScript-based communication mechanisms. You'll explore a variety of sample applications featuring emerging user-interface conventions and build applications that address real-world networking and security issues. A robust communication library is developed throughout the book that enables you to architect flexible Ajax applications. The latest technologies such as Web services, Flash-Ajax integration, client-side templates, Comet, and Offline Access are also covered. Discover the future of Web development today!
Work with traditional JavaScript communication approaches like iframes
Explore all the quirks and details in the XMLHttpRequest object
Handle disparate data formats, including XML, JSON, CSV, YAML, and more
Deal with networking issues, including timeouts, retries, response ordering, and a variety of server and content errors
Simplify JavaScript programming using open-source Ajax libraries like YUI
Secure Ajax applications using authentication, obfuscation, and encryption
Implement common Ajax UI patterns such as auto suggest, click-to-edit, and drag-and-drop
Solve troubling Ajax architecture problems, including back button, history, and bookmarking issues
Learn Ajax's role in Web 2.0 and Web services
Explore push style communication using Comet and Flash
Discover the future of offline Web application access and operation