Foundations of Ajax presents a concise, down-to-earth explanation of the Ajax technology. Cutting through the hyperbole, this book focuses on what the Ajax technology means, how you start using it, and why it can make a difference to your products.
The authors begin with a clear explanation of how the Ajax techniques work, presenting the `XMLHttpRequest` object, and outlining how requests to the server are handled. Then they demonstrate the techniques' strengths and weaknesses in a variety of environments, backing up their discussion with a multitude of coding examples and links to existing Ajax applications already on the Web. The authors put it all together and leave you with a solid understanding of how to use this new Ajax approach to its fullest potential.
User review
Great Introductory book - Very nicely written
I read the book and liked it very much. It is an introductory book and teaches you concept in a nice and plain manner, no gimmicks. You read the book and you will learn. forget about other comments.
User review
Good foundation/introduction to Ajax
This is a good book if you are looking for an introduction to Ajax programming with straight to the point examples and common tools.
User review
Not for a starter
I am a professional Java guy but i can't get what I want (knowledge about Javascript/AJAX programming objects) from this book because the book highlights on advanced concepts from related technologies to explain things. So unless you are a pretty competent Javascript programmer you will struggle to understand this book and struggle to understand the significance of what you are being told and why.
User review
Lackluster
This book is terrible. The exposition is rather poor and shallow. Too focused on Java and not JavaScript/Ajax. The authors knowledge of JavaScript come across as being peripheral and unfocused. This book is simply riding the Ajax craze wave and if you're a self-respecting programmer, you'll be returning this book in no time. Terribly disappointed. There are two other books on Ajax/JavaScript that do a much, much better job at explaining the technology and its uses than this primer; I'd give the names, but don't want to cross-advertise.
User review
Good starting point for practical Ajax implementation
This book from Ryan Asleson and Nathaniel Schutta is a basic introduction to Ajax focused on the user interaction aspects. Therefore, most of the book focuses on how to use JavaScript to enhance user experience on web sites. After introducing the XMLHttpRequest object and server communication, the authors show how the Ajax approach can be used in various interaction contexts. The final chapters of the book are dedicated to tools than can ease JavaScript development, particularly for the testing and debugging activities.
Although it is targeted to developers that already master JavaScript and HTML, the clarity of examples makes this book accessible to a larger audience, even if you do not have a PhD in JavaScript. Some may think that the focus of the book (client side scripting) is limited, but I see this book is a good starting point for practical Ajax implementation, especially to enhance an existing web site. The fact that the few server code examples are in Java may however be seen as a disadvantage for readers using another server-side language and that are looking for a broader coverage on their specific configuration.
