Foundations of Ajax (Foundation)

The one big thing that impressed me about this book was the fact that ithas so many detailed, in-depth code samples and discussions. It doesn't just present code samples though. It takes you through the how's and the why's, which is cool.

— greg hughes - dot - net

Ajax burst onto the Web development scene by offering highly interactive, desktop-like Web applications that can be deployed through any modern Web browser without the need for special plug-ins. Ajax is built on existing Web technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, and it is used in conjunction with your favorite server-side language. Foundations of Ajax explains how to combine these technologies effectively to implement Ajax into your new or existing Web applications. Like you, we are developers who are "in the trenches," tasked with building Web-enabled applications that provide real value to our customers. As the Web continues to grow, the demand for more expressive and engaging interfaces will continue to increase.

Much of the early hype surrounding Ajax centered on its use by Internet powerhouses such as Google and Amazon. However, just because the initial forays into Ajax were pioneered by leading software development firms doesnt mean your application wouldnt also benefit from these techniques. You already know how to develop Web applications, so this book uses specific, focused examples to teach the Ajax tools and techniques youll need to bring your applications to life. Armed with this book and your existing development expertise, you too will be able to apply Ajax techniques to your application to enrich the end users experience.

When we first saw the potential of Ajax, we knew we had to start leveraging it for our own applications. Along the way weve learned some hard-earned knowledge that we thought needed to be shared with the rest of the development community. With this book youll be able to easily extend your own applications with Ajax and have fun while doing it. We hope that someday well be reading about your great Ajax-enabled application!

About The Author
Ryan Asleson is a software developer who lives and works in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. He holds a degree in chemistry from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Ryan has been building Web applications since 1998 and has extensive experience with JavaScript and Web development tools. He helped transition his organization from servlet-based content creation to JavaServer Pages (JSP) and has also maintained a corporate Web application framework based on Java Enterprise Edition. Ryan's interests include performance tuning and standards based development. When not working, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and doing outdoor activities like fishing, hunting, and water sports.

Nathaniel T. Schutta is a software engineer from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with extensive experience in the financial services arena primarily developing J2EE-based Web applications. He holds a master of science degree in software engineering from the University of Minnesota. For the last several years, he has focused on user interface design by contributing to corporate interface guidelines, and has consulted on a variety of web-based applications within his organization. A longtime member of the Association for Computing Machinery's Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group, and a Sun Certified Web Component Developer, Nathaniel believes if the user can't figure out your application, you've done something wrong. Along with his UI work, he has contributed to two corporate Java frameworks, developed training material, and lead several study groups. During the brief moments of warm weather found in his home state of Minnesota, he spends as much time on the golf course as his wife will tolerate. He's currently exploring Ruby, Rails, and after recently making the switch, Mac OS X.

Reader Reviews
Ajax is an unusual beast. It's not a product. It's not a standard. It's not a tool. It's not proprietary. And it's not a proper noun -- it's an acronym (although it's usually spelled as if it were a proper noun). Instead, Ajax is a collection of techniques for building highly interactive Web based applications using industrial-strength JavaScript and asynchronous communications, and it's taking the Web development world by storm. This is one of the first books to appear on this very hot topic, and I have to say it's a very good one. "Foundations of Ajax" takes you through the whys and wherefores of Ajax, as well as the meat and potatoes, at a brisk pace. The examples are crystal clear. One difficulty in describing Ajax applications is that they're inherently multi-language -- part is always JavaScript, and the rest is always written in a server-side language of your choice. Choosing a particular server language might have alienated some readers unfamiliar with it. This book neatly sidesteps the problem by using fixed XML files for the server component for most examples, which leads to startlingly simple descriptions. As someone who has already learned the basics of Ajax, however, I found the second half of the book even more valuable. The last few chapters talk about tools and techniques for building real-life professional-grade applications. There is excellent, detailed information about documenting, unit testing and debugging for JavaScript, debugging Ajax communications, and using some of the newfangled Ajax frameworks that have begun to appear. These chapters credibly demonstrate that it's possible to treat JavaScript as a Serious Programming Language. In sum, I think that "Foundations of Ajax" is an excellent piece of work which belongs on every Web developer's bookshelf.