Contents of This Book
This book does not require you to start from the beginning and read it all the way to the end. I've tried to make each chapter as standalone as possible. Having said that, there is some small degree of building on a previous chapter's work, primarily in the use of an Adding Ajax library that is created as the book proceeds. However, all of the material is included in the downloadable examples. I would, however, recommend that you read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 before you read any other chapters.
The following is a brief synopsis of each chapter:
- Chapter 1
Provides an overview of the Ajax technologies, but also covers the importance of developing a strategy for change to your site before sitting down to code. It covers the importance of discovering your audience and provides tips on how you can accomplish this task. It also covers the importance of standards and making sure you have a good, solid web page before you begin to add any Ajax effects. Once you've read this chapter, you're ready to add any of the Ajax effects covered in the later chapters.
- Chapter 2
Provides a nuts-and-bolts coverage of the heart and soul of Ajax: how to work with the
XMLHttpRequestobject. In this chapter, I cover how to request a web service using both a GET and a POST request, as well as how to use dynamic scripting for cross-domain data requests. As for types of data, I cover HTML, XML, as well as the newer JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). I also discuss the asynchronous nature of ...