AJAX

Overview

Asynchronous Java Script XML (AJAX) is a commonly used web development technique that is used to create an interactive website. AJAX is based on JavaScript and Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Web applications use AJAX to asynchronously retrieve data from servers without interfering with the display of an existing webpage.

AJAX software is available online and for free. In any case, you should verify free software to make sure that is legal and free from viruses. If you prefer to purchase software, expect to pay between $30 and $300.

You should verify the software for its genuineness before downloading the software. If you want to purchase the software, then you may have to shell out anything between $30 and $300. Technologies including JavaScript, Extensible Markup Language (XML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language (XHTML) are required to support AJAX software. The costs of these technologies are generally included in the price of AJAX. You can also approach companies that help you install AJAX software in your systems. They may charge you an hourly rate for the service.

Benefits

AJAX enables you to create an interactive website. Dynamic web pages help you create a remarkable impression on your visitors. Asynchronous data retrieval increases the speed with which web pages load from the server. With most websites, related pages have almost the same content. While retrieving data using traditional methods, the content of the page is reloaded with every request. With the development of AJAX, web applications only load updated content. This reduces the bandwidth and loading time. A website developer can use JavaScript to add information to a webpage even after the page has been loaded. The developer can modify a part of a web page and update it without having to reload the complete document.

How It Works

AJAX is a combination of many technologies. It uses JavaScript XMLhttpRequest (XHR) to communicate directly with servers. It reduces load time and helps create a dynamic webpage interface. XHR is also used with IFrame object or tag for asynchronous data exchange between the server and browser. Formats such as Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) or plain texts are generally used for data interchange. Sometimes JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is also used as an alternative format for data exchange.

HTML and CSS are used to create the webpage. XML helps in interchange of data while XSL Transformation (XSLT) is used for manipulation and display of data. JavaScript is used for local processing and it works with Document Object Model (DOM) to access and display data inside a page.

Companies/Brands

Many companies that provide web designing services also offer AJAX development tools. Backbase Developer Network, iovista, and WaveMaker provide AJAX services in the United States.