AJAX: Making Web Applications More Useful

According to Jesse James Garrett, there’s a new approach to developing web applications that can make them more useful and responsive. It’s old enough to be in use today and if you’ve used Google Suggest or Google Maps, it’s likely you’ve seen it in action. It’s called Asynchronous JavaScript + XML—or AJAX—a technology combination that is enabling web developers to create solutions that are as rich and functional as desktop software applications.

According to Garrett, “AJAX isn�t a technology. It�s really several technologies, each flourishing in its own right, coming together in powerful new ways.”

AJAX is confusing in part because asynchronous means out of synch. Ironically, AJAX helps developers create web solutions that are more in synch with the actions of the end-user. In the case of Google Suggest, AJAX helps make the web application much more responsive and useful. By combining what some call clairvoiance (autotyping of words/phrases) with ranking, Google Suggest provides additional information about your likely search results in near real-time (with no need to click the search button). Try it out and you’ll see what I mean.