Ajax Design Patterns

Preface

AJAX DESIGN PATTERNS IS A REFERENCE FOR DEVELOPERS, DESIGNERS, AND MANAGERS WHO WANT TO know how Ajax is being used in the real world. Ajax is a new label to describe rich, desktop-like Internet applications that run in standard web browsers and do not require any special plugins. Its popularity stems from high-profile Ajax applications like Gmail, Google Maps, and 37signals’ Basecamp, and it is becoming popular in the enterprise as well.

The patterns in this book fall into four categories. Foundational Technology patterns overview the raw technologies required for Ajax development, such as the XMLHttpRequest object. Programming patterns expose techniques developers have been discovering to ensure their Ajax applications are maintainable and performant. Functionality and Usability patterns are about the kinds of user-interfaces you’ll come across in Ajax applications and the new types of functionality that Ajax makes possible. Finally, Development patterns explain the processes being used to monitor, debug, and test their Ajax applications.

Who Should Read This Book?

You should read this book if you want to:

• Learn what’s possible—and what’s not—with Ajax, and see how Ajax is being used in the real world.

• Get up to speed with core Ajax technologies such as XMLHttpRequest, the DOM, and JSON.

• Discover the patterns developers are using to produce high-quality Ajax architectures, streamline performance, and improve usability.

Because of the reference-like nature of the patterns, the ...