Last night I added a new web page to my web site to demonstrate Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, otherwise known as AJAX. Asynchronous JavaScript and XML is JavaScript on the client which uses an ActiveXObject, Microsoft.XMLHTTP, to request a XML file from the server. Then the JavaScript loops through the XML nodes (tag elements) and dynamically writes the data into HTML page elements. The client browser appears to magically load data without requesting another web page.
AJAX has appeared on many of the job applications I’ve seen. However, I don’t get the impression that employers really understand the technology because it is not something you want to get into if you have serious budget constraints or project deadlines to meet. AJAX requires a lot of additional work. I suspect employers have heard the hype about Web 2.0 and think it is the next big thing. Well…the only companies using AJAX for web applications now are major players like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. These companies have teams of highly paid developers to create cutting edge applications and Internet services. Web 2.0 actually involves more than just AJAX. It also means using very innovative techniques to improve the user experience.
However, AJAX itself is a fairly simple concept and it only took me one evening to create my snazzy example. Maybe that will satisfy my prospective employers.
