The Bottom Line
- Deals with all client server communication methods
- Covers a wide range of different uses for AJAX using real world examples
- Use of all the major server side languages is demonstrated
- Shows how to use both XML and JSON data formats
- Example code available for download
- Assumes a knowledge of all server side languages if you want to understand all of the tutorials
- No information on how to translate server side processing to your chosen language
- Assumes a relatively advanced knowledge of Javascript, XML, and several server side languages.
- Some deprecated HTML used in Examples
Description
- First Edition: Published 2006
- 406 page paperback
- Published by Wiley Publishing Inc
- ISBN 0-471-77778-1
- A WROX professional guide (programmer to programmer)
- Authors Nicholas Zakas, Jeremy McPeak, Joe Fawcett
Guide Review - Professional AJAX
AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) is a technology whose time has come and this book demonstrates dozens of different useful ways to use this technology to achieve many different useful web site enhancements. The biggest problem with the book is probably a result of the fact that the technology is still so new that not all web browsers support all of the functionality and also that there are so many different ways that the technology can be used and languages that can be used with it on the server (Javascript obviously being required on the client side). This has resulted in the book appearing somewhat disjointed as the book demonstrates the use of different server side technologies in the various examples through the book. Those examples that use languages you don't know will be much harder to follow than those that use languages you do know.
The book assumes a reasonable knowledge of Javascript, XML, and at least one server side language. Sufficient detail is provided in the book in introducing JSON (Javascript Object Notation) to allow that method of transferring data to be easily understood. Each of the different popular server side languages in used in some of the examples so that at least some will use a language that is familiar to you. No attempt is made to explain how you should rewrite the server side part into your chosen language where that isn't the one used in the particular example and it is assumed that you should be able to figure this out for yourself.
