What's AJAX ?

[james_ashby]

Ok keep coming across this term whenever I look at javascript tutorials but what the heck does it stand for and what does it mean or do for web development ?

Thanks

[expointer]

Ajax is a way of developing Web applications that combines:

    * XHTML and CSS standards based presentation
    * Interaction with the page through the DOM
    * Data interchange with XML and XSLT
    * Asynchronous data retrieval with XMLHttpRequest
    * JavaScript to tie it all together

Ajax (sometimes called Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a way of programming for the Web that gets rid of the hourglass. Data, content, and design are merged together into a seamless whole.
When your customer clicks on something on an Ajax driven application, there is very little lag time. The page simply displays what they're asking for.

[james_ashby]

Yeah thanks for the useless cut and paste job, I've come across descriptions like that before, but I was hoping someone who actually understands and knows how to code it could explain it in laymen terms.

It always pisses me off when someone just copies and pastes a definition? how's that gonna help me ? I could have looked that up myself mate!

[ivan]

AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a newly coined term for two powerful browser features that have been around for years, but were overlooked by many web developers until recently when applications such as Gmail, Google suggest, and Google Maps hit the streets.

[sam]

 Asynchronous JavaScript and XML which provide the feature of log the page contents without reloading the page.AJAX is run on client's browser
http://anyquestion.webvertex.co.in/

[Vinil]

consider an example where you are filling a form .In that case you may not want delay after filling the form .So the whole page doesnt go to server rather the part of web page that contains form information goes to server and back to browser thats because of ajax.This takes comparatively lesser time .Also you might have seen in google when you type a single character and it shows few more hints starting with that character .thats also because of ajax

[developers]

AJAX, which stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, is a set of web development techniques used to create asynchronous web applications. This means that instead of reloading an entire webpage when a user performs an action, such as submitting a form, AJAX allows specific parts of the page to be updated without a full page refresh.

One of the main advantages of using AJAX is that it can improve the user experience by making web pages feel more interactive and responsive. This is achieved by sending data to and from the server in the background, without interfering with the rest of the page.

AJAX uses a combination of technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML (although JSON is often used instead of XML due to its lightweight nature). It allows developers to make HTTP requests to the server from the client-side and handle the response without requiring a full page reload.

Common use cases for AJAX include form submissions, live search functionality, and dynamic content loading. Many modern web applications rely on AJAX to provide a seamless and engaging user interface.

Overall, AJAX has greatly contributed to the evolution of web development by enabling more dynamic and responsive web applications.

[brianwilson085]

AJAX = Asynchronous JavaScript and XML.

AJAX is a technique for creating fast and dynamic web pages.

AJAX allows web pages to be updated asynchronously by exchanging small amounts of data with the server behind the scenes. This means that it is possible to update parts of a web page, without reloading the whole page.

Classic web pages, (which do not use AJAX) must reload the entire page if the content should change.

Examples of applications using AJAX: Google Maps, Gmail, Youtube, and Facebook tabs.

[thelazytrader]

AJAX can update parts of a web page, without reloading the whole page.It is a technique for creating fast and dynamic web pages.

[webdesigenusa]

Ajax is calling Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. AJAX is a technique for creating fast and dynamic web pages.AJAX allows web pages to be updated asynchronously by exchanging small amounts of data with the server behind the scenes.