what is ajax?

Ajax is a shorthand for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications.
Like DHTML and LAMP, Ajax is not a technology in itself, but a term that refers to the use of a group of technologies together.

The Ajax technique uses a combination of:

• XHTML (or HTML) and CSS, for marking up and styling information.
• The DOM accessed with a client-side scripting language, especially ECMAScript implementations such as JavaScript and JScript, to dynamically display and interact with the information presented.
• The XMLHttpRequest object to exchange data asynchronously with the web server.
• In some Ajax frameworks and in certain situations, an IFrame object is used instead of the XMLHttpRequest object to exchange data with the web server.

advantages of ajax

The intent of using Ajax is to make web pages feel more responsive by exchanging small amounts of data with the server behind the scenes, so that the entire web page does not have to be reloaded each time the user makes a change. This is meant to increase the web page's interactivity, speed, and usability, so:

• The web page becomes more responsive when Ajax is used.
• Ajax technology is supported by many browsers
• Web developers that have knowledge in basic web development applications can easily adapt to using Ajax

relevant books about ajax

• Ajax Hacks
• XML Programming (Core Reference)
• Strategic XML
• Faster Smarter HTML & XML
• Python & XML
• Voice Application Development with VoiceXML
• XML, XSLT, Java, and JSP: A Case Study in Developing a Web Application
• Program Generators with XML and Java
• The XML Handbook (3rd Edition)
• Practical Guide to SGML/XML Filters
• XML by Example (By Example)
• XHTML: Moving Toward XML
• The JavaScript Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks
• Inside JavaScript
• JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
• JavaScript Application Cookbook
• More Jumping Javascript (Java Series (Sun Microsystems Pr))
• CSS Instant Results (Programmer to Programmer)
• CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions (Solutions)
• The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web (Voices That Matter)
• Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design
• More Eric Meyer on CSS (Voices That Matter) (Voices That Matter)

• Ajax Info
• more information about web design