Professional Ajax, 2nd Edition - Softcover

Zakas, Nicholas C.; McPeak, Jeremy; Fawcett, Joe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470109491 ISBN 13: 9780470109496

Publisher: Wrox, 2007

Synopsis

Professional Ajax 2nd Edition provides a developer-level tutorial of Ajax techniques, patterns, and use cases. The book begins by exploring the roots of Ajax, covering how the evolution of the web and new technologies directly led to the development of Ajax techniques. A detailed discussion of how frames, JavaScript, cookies, XML, and XMLHttp requests (XHR) related to Ajax is included. After this introduction, the book moves on to cover the implementation of specific Ajax techniques. Request brokers such as hidden frames, dynamic iframes, and XHR are compared and contrasted, explaining when one method should be used over another. To make this discussion clearer, a brief overview of HTTP requests and responses is included.

Once a basic understanding of the various request types is discussed, the book moves on to provide in-depth examples of how and when to use Ajax in a web site or web application. Different data transmission formats, including plain text, HTML, XML, and JSON are discussed for their advantages and disadvantages. Also included is a discussion on web services and how they may be used to perform Ajax techniques. Next, more complex topics are covered. A chapter introducing a request management framework explores how to manage all of the requests inside of an Ajax application. Ajax debugging techniques are also discussed.

Professional Ajax 2nd edition is written for Web application developers looking to enhance the usability of their web sites and web applications and intermediate JavaScript developers looking to further understand the language. Readers should have familiarity with XML, XSLT, Web Services, PHP or C#, HTML, CSS.

Professional Ajax 2nd edition adds nearly 200 pages of new and expanded coverage compared to the first edition. 

About this title

From the Back Cover

With Professional Ajax, 2nd Edition, as your guide, you'll discover how to break free of the "click and wait" standard and defy all the traditional rules of what can happen on the web. This book arms you with a developer-level understanding of Ajax techniques, patterns, and use cases so that you can create an unprecedented user experience in your web applications.

Thoroughly updated throughout, this expanded 2nd edition adds almost 200 pages of new coverage on recently developed Ajax techniques, clearly showing you how to execute client-server communication on your site. It takes you through request brokers such as hidden frames, dynamic iframes, and XHR, explaining when to use each method. You'll also find out how to effectively implement a request management framework as well as how to utilize the latest debugging techniques. All of this will help you create your own full-fledged Ajax web applications to make your site more dynamic.

What you will learn from this book

• All about working with Ajax design patterns and libraries

• Best practices for dynamic script loading and incorporating Ajax-enabled images into your site

• Steps for using Ajax with RSS and Atom to produce a web-based news aggregator

• Tips for taking advantage of Ajax maps APIs from Google® and Yahoo!®

• Techniques for automating part of the Ajax development process

• How to use ASP.NET AJAX Extensions to simplify the creation of Ajax applications

Who this book is for

This book is for web developers who want to enhance the usability of their sites and applications. Familiarity with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS is necessary, as is experience with a server-side language such as PHP or a .NET language.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

About the Author

Nicholas C. Zakas has a BS in Computer Science from Merrimack College and an MBA from Endicott College. He is the author of Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (Wiley 2005) as well as several online articles. Nicholas works for Yahoo! as a frontend engineer and has worked in web development for more than 6 years, during which time he has helped develop web solutions in use at some of the largest companies in the world. Nicholas can be reached through his web site at www.nczonline.net.

Jeremy McPeak began tinkering with web development as a hobby in 1998. Currently working in the IT department of a school district, Jeremy has experience developing web solutions with JavaScript, PHP, and C#. He has written several online articles covering topics such as XSLT, WebForms, and C#. He is also co-author of Beginning JavaScript, 3rd Edition (Wiley 2007). Jeremy can be reached through his web site at www.wdonline.com.

Joe Fawcett started programming in the 1970s and briefly worked in IT upon leaving full-time education. He then pursued a more checkered career before returning to software development in 1994. In 2003 he was awarded the title of Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in XML for community contributions and technical expertise. He currently works in London as a developer for FTC Kaplan, a leading international provider of accountancy and business training, where he specializes in systems integration.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wrox
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0470109491
• ISBN 13: 9780470109496
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 624