We prefer the term Browser-based Application Development to AJAX, but for the most part, they refer to the same thing. The term AJAX was originally coined by the very bright folks at Adaptive Path as a reference to several technologies that are enabling a new generation of interactive applications.
Given Metablocks' solution-driven (versus technology-driven) mindset, Brower-based applications is to AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML), what Web-based applications would be to LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP or Perl).
Our belief is that as interactive applications gain popularity and wide-spread use, technologies other than AJAX (or perhaps improvements to AJAX), will emerge and provide better and more intuitive mechanisms to develop Browser-based applications.
What are Browser-based Applications?
Browser-based applications are applications where the front-end (or user interface and interaction portion) of the application resides entirely within a single HTML/XHTML web pages that "run" within a browser client and communicates with an XML-based back-end server (or service) via the browser's XMLHttpRequest object. Browser-based applications are written in Javascript, which allows them to dynamic display information and interact with the user by accessing and manipulating the page's HTML via the Document Object Model (DOM). The XMLHttpRequest object allows the application to request and receive data from an external source in XML format directly within the browser without refreshing the current page. This saves users the usual
roundtrip associated with posting data to a server-side application and waiting for that application to generate a new HTML page.
In the past, individuals (including ourselves) had devised other mechanisms to achieve similar results. These including communicating with server using a hidden IFRAME or in a more limited example, using the Javascript image object to send user interaction data back to a server (Google Search is a good example). However, as a best practice in Browser-based application development, AJAX represents the current preferred and prevailing approach to building such applications.
Is AJAX ment to replace Macromedia Flash?
No, in fact, both technologies can easily coexisting together. AJAX and Flash MX have a number of similarities that incude the ability to request and consume XML as well as the ability to interact and communiate via Javascript. Each, however, represents a different yet valid approach to building "Browser-based" applications, neither of which is mutually exclusive.
Does AJAX work in browsers other than Microsoft Internet Explorer?
Yes, AJAX is
platform independence and is supported in other browsers including Mozilla 1.0 (Netscape 7) as well as Apple Safari 1.2.
Where can I find examples of AJAX or Browser-based Applications?
