AJAX 101 - where to start?

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Hi, I've gotten involved in a project where some (some basic) AJAX would be the best way to go... problem is I don't know any AJAX, yet...

The project is fairly straight-forward: We have a web-application/-player running on a web-site (using a 3rd party web-plugin) and as people chose different things, I should keep an updated "shopping-list" on the side (with some minor calculations), and when all choices are done I should be able to save the data in a (mysql?) database (think shopping cart). The web-player can communicate (both ways) with the page using javascript.

Now, I know my way around, (x)html and php/mysql and have some basic javascripting skills, and that engineering degree I have in CS has to be good for something (), but I still need some good advice in where to start, preferably at a very basic level at first...

...once I've gotten past that I might have other, more complicated, questions...

Any tutorials and/or (good**) books that are recommended?

Any good advice to get me on my way?

Thanks.

** I got "Head Rush Ajax" at the library, but those Head Rush books makes my head hurt o), and there's a (potentially 3 month) waiting list on both "AJAX for Dummies" and "AJAX : Visual Quickstart Guide" by Jim Keogh, and I need some good books before that...

 

[NoNameBrand]

• 30 second AJAX tutorial
• Postal Code lookup
• The PHP versions of the JSP examples in "Foundations of Ajax" (look for PHP "Examples")

I would start by creating a simple page that when you click a link, it loads some static content with AJAX, and then build up some dynamic in place of the static. Once there, you've basically got it.

 

[colocolo]

I just want to add, remember to keep it modular. AJAX is actually fairly simple, nothing really new in there but maybe XmlHTTPRequest.

I started by making a simple page (as stated above) that loaded info into a div; at first, I didn't even send the content back in XML, just a string to output. Then, I standardized the functions that made the call to the other page , so I could use it regardless of the context.

If you have any questions or code that doesn't seem to work, post it here and we will do our best to help you out.

Oh, by the way, remember this (it slowed me up cause I was doing it by myself and not looking at examples, back when I didn't even know what AJAX was but stumbled with the XmlHttpRequest function):

if (window.XMLHttpRequest) // not explorer
   buscar.req = new XMLHttpRequest();
else if (window.ActiveXObject)
buscar.req = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");

 

[Stampyhead]

This book is pretty good:
http://www.sitepoint.com/books/ajax1/

 

[Bern]

To think a Flash teacher told me that Javascript and Ajax is out dated technology

 

[c-Row]

This is a great book to learn AJAX. I am currently working on my first small (but growing) application - maybe I can share some of it with you when it's functional.

They also released another one covering JAVA, and it's the first book I truly understood.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Thanks for advice and links, so far. I appreciate it...

I'll get back to you once I have some well thought through questions...

Keep up the excellent work...

This is a great book to learn AJAX. I am currently working on my first small (but growing) application - maybe I can share some of it with you when it's functional.

Thanks... but read the fine print in the first post...

But, I'm actually reading it at the moment, and even if it does make my head hurt, I actually pick up a thing or two...

 

[Rower_CPU]

When you're ready to start tinkering or just want some "off-the-shelf" effects/functionality, be sure to check out script.aculo.us. It's built on the prototype library and is a great way to get something in place without slogging through from scratch.

 

[savar]

Two quick questions on this thread:

1) Where is a good place to see what AJAX is capable of? I'm familiar with the basics of the technology, and I've used some of the Google apps that use AJAX effectively, but what are the fringe technologies that it's driving right now?

2) Has anybody used the Google API for creating AJAX? You write it in Java and can simulate it in a Java environment, then when you're ready to deploy it transliterates into Javascript/XML. Any reviews?

 

[c-Row]

Thanks... but read the fine print in the first post...

Fine print is for sissies!

Seriously, I can't see how someone can get a headache from their writing. I thought it was fun and easy to follow while at the same time not being shallow.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Seriously, I can't see how someone can get a headache from their writing. I thought it was fun and easy to follow while at the same time not being shallow.

Nah... probably just me getting a bit grumpy on my old days...

I'm used to, and like, a traditional, well-written text-book, and think those Head Rush guys just tries a little too hard to be über-cool...

...and if I want everything repeated I read that passage again...

But, on the other hand... the book is fairly easy too read (probably because there are very few actual words on each page), and I do pick up a thing or two, I guess... so maybe the devil's spawn actually works...

 

[tominated]

Two quick questions on this thread:

1) Where is a good place to see what AJAX is capable of? I'm familiar with the basics of the technology, and I've used some of the Google apps that use AJAX effectively, but what are the fringe technologies that it's driving right now?

the new .mac mail uses it. i don't know anything else