AJAX, A Combination of Technologies for Web Development

AJAX, formally known as Asynchronous JavaScript And XML, combines the benefits of many technologies into one to create web applications. Small amounts of data are exchanged with the server "behind the scenes" which enhances the speed, interactivity, and usability of the page for the user. In turn, the page doesn't have to reload each time the user makes a change and the need to refresh is eliminated.

This sounds complicated but it's really not. Consider, Google Maps has already implemented AJAX. A user can scroll over the map and click on thumbtacks to get details without submitting the page in order to retrieve them. Thus, this new technology takes away the time users spend looking at the hour glass icon or blank browser window waiting for the server to respond with the content they requested. Popular uses for AJAX includes simple forms, instant messaging applications, rating and voting polls, commonly entered text, simple searches, and filters for searches.

Major browsers already support this jointed technology. For Internet users using these browsers, JavaScript must be enabled. For those using Microsoft's Internet Explorer version 6 and below, ActiveX must be enabled as well.

Part of an easily navigable web site is its ease of use. Incorporating AJAX into your pages when appropriate can help bring customers back again.