Ajax: Creating Web Pages with Asynchronous JavaScript and XML

Chapter 2. Introducing Ajax

A little more than a year ago, an article by Jesse James Garrett was published describing an advanced web development technique that, even though individual components of it have existed for years, few web developers had ever stumbled across. I can guess the reason for this lack of knowledge; basically, in the last few years, the need to produce measurable results has gotten in the way of the need to practice our craft. Or, as a former manager of mine would say, it’s “that mad scientist stuff,” except, as I recall, he used another word in place of stuff. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten, the need to produce measurable results gets in the way of “that mad scientist stuff.”

However, it’s the tenth time that’s important. ...