Ajax:: AJAX, Is A Web Development Technique For Creating Interactive Web Applications

AJAX:
AJAX, is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications.
AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. AJAX is a new

technique for creating better, faster, and more interactive web applications with
the help of XML, HTML, CSS, and Java Script.
Ajax uses XHTML for content, CSS for presentation, along with Document
Object Model and JavaScript for dynamic content display.
Conventional web applications transmit information to and from the sever using
synchronous requests. It means you fill out a form, hit submit, and get directed to
a new page with new information from the server.
With AJAX, when you hit submit, JavaScript will make a request to the server,
interpret the results, and update the current screen. In the purest sense, the user
would never know that anything was even transmitted to the server.
XML is commonly used as the format for receiving server data, although any
format, including plain text, can be used.
AJAX is a web browser technology independent of web server software.
A user can continue to use the application while the client program requests
information from the server in the background.
Intuitive and natural user interaction. Clicking is not required, mouse movement is
a sufficient event trigger.
Data-driven as opposed to page-driven.
AJAX cannot work independently. It is used in combination with other technologies to create
interactive webpages.
JavaScript
Loosely typed scripting language.
JavaScript function is called when an event occurs in a page.
Glue for the whole AJAX operation.
DOM
API for accessing and manipulating structured documents.
Represents the structure of XML and HTML documents.
CSS
Allows for a clear separation of the presentation style from the content and may be
changed programmatically by JavaScript.
XMLHttpRequest
JavaScript object that performs asynchronous interaction with the server.
AJAX Examples
Here is a list of some famous web applications that make use of AJAX.
Google Maps
A user can drag an entire map by using the mouse, rather than clicking on a button.
http://maps.google.com/
Google Suggest
As you type, Google will offer suggestions. Use the arrow keys to navigate the results.
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
Gmail
Gmail is a webmail, built on the idea that email can be more intuitive, efficient and useful.
http://gmail.com/
Yahoo Maps (new)
Now it's even easier and more fun to get where you're going!
http://maps.yahoo.com/
AJAX - Browser Support

All the available browsers cannot support AJAX. Here is a list of major browsers, that
support AJAX.
Mozilla Firefox 1.0 and above.
Netscape version 7.1 and above.
Apple Safari 1.2 and above.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and above.
Konqueror.
Opera 7.6 and above.
When you write your next application, do consider the browsers that do not support AJAX.
NOTE: When we say that a browser does not support AJAX, it simply means that the
browser does not support creation of Javascript object XMLHttpRequest object.
Writing Browser Specific Code
The Simplest way to make your source code compatible with a browser is to use try...catch
blocks in your JavaScript.
<html>
<body>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">

</script>
<form name='myForm'>
Name: <input type='text' name='username' /> <br />
Time: <input type='text' name='time' />
</form>
</body>
</html>
In the above JavaScript code, we try three times to make our XMLHttpRequest object. Our
first attempt:
It is for Opera 8.0+, Firefox, and Safari browsers. If it fails, we try two more times to make
the correct object for an Internet Explorer browser with:
If it doesn't work, then we can use a very outdated browser that doesn't support
XMLHttpRequest, which also means it doesn't support Ajax.
AJAX - XMLHttpRequest
The XMLHttpRequest object is the key to AJAX. It has been available ever since Internet
Explorer 5.5 was released in July 2000, but was not fully discovered until AJAX and Web 2.0
in 2005 became popular.
XMLHttpRequest (XHR) is an API that can be used by JavaScript, JScript, VBScript, and
other web browser scripting languages to transfer and manipulate XML data to and from a
webserver using HTTP, establishing an independent connection channel between a webpage's
Client-Side and Server-Side.
The data returned from XMLHttpRequest calls will often be provided by back-end databases.
Besides XML, XMLHttpRequest can be used to fetch data in other formats, e.g. JSON or
even plain text.
Listed below is listed are some of the methods and properties that you have to get familiar
with.
XMLHttpRequest Methods
abort()
Cancels the current request.
getAllResponseHeaders()
Returns the complete set of HTTP headers as a string.
getResponseHeader( headerName )
Returns the value of the specified HTTP header.
open( method, URL )
open( method, URL, async )
open( method, URL, async, userName )
open( method, URL, async, userName, password )
Specifies the method, URL, and other optional attributes of a request.
The method parameter can have a value of "GET", "POST", or "HEAD". Other HTTP
methods, such as "PUT" and "DELETE" (primarily used in REST applications) may
be possible.
The "async" parameter specifies whether the request should be handled
asynchronously or not. "true" means that the script processing carries on after the
send() method without waiting for a response, and "false" means that the script waits
for a response before continuing script processing.
send( content )
Sends the request.
setRequestHeader( label, value )
Adds a label/value pair to the HTTP header to be sent.
XMLHttpRequest Properties
onreadystatechange
An event handler for an event that fires at every state change.
readyState
The readyState property defines the current state of the XMLHttpRequest object.
The following table provides a list of the possible values for the readyState property:
State Description
0 The request is not initialized.
1 The request has been set up.
2 The request has been sent.
3 The request is in process.
4 The request is completed.
readyState = 0 After you have created the XMLHttpRequest object, but before you
have called the open() method.
readyState = 1 After you have called the open() method, but before you have called
send().
readyState = 2 After you have called send().
readyState = 3 After the browser has established a communication with the server,
but before the server has completed the response.
readyState = 4 After the request has been completed, and the response data has been
completely received from the server.
responseText
Returns the response as a string.
responseXML
Returns the response as XML. This property returns an XML document object, which
can be examined and parsed using the W3C DOM node tree methods and properties.
status
Returns the status as a number (e.g., 404 for "Not Found" and 200 for "OK").
statusText
Returns the status as a string (e.g., "Not Found" or "OK").
AJAX - Action
Steps of AJAX Operation
A client event occurs.

An XMLHttpRequest object is created.
The XMLHttpRequest object is configured.
The XMLHttpRequest object makes an asynchronous request to the Webserver.
The Webserver returns the result containing XML document.
The XMLHttpRequest object calls the callback() function and processes the result.
The HTML DOM is updated.
A Client Event Occurs
A JavaScript function is called as the result of an event.
Example: validateUserId() JavaScript function is mapped as an event handler to an
onkeyup event on input form field whose id is set to "userid"
<input type="text" size="20" id="userid" name="id" onkeyup="validateUserId();">.
The XMLHttpRequest Object is Created

var ajaxRequest; // The variable that makes Ajax possible!
function ajaxFunction(){
try{
// Opera 8.0+, Firefox, Safari

}catch (e){
// Internet Explorer Browsers

try{
}catch (e) {
try{
}catch (e){
// Something went wrong

alert("Your browser broke!");
return false;
}
}
}
}
The XMLHttpRequest Object is Configured
In this step, we will write a function that will be triggered by the client event and a callback
function processRequest() will be registered.
function validateUserId() {
ajaxFunction();
// Here processRequest() is the callback function.

ajaxRequest.onreadystatechange = processRequest;
if (!target) target = document.getElementById("userid");

var url = "validate?id=" + escape(target.value);
ajaxRequest.open("GET", url, true);

ajaxRequest.send(null);
}
Making Asynchronous Request to the Webserver
Source code is available in the above piece of code. Code written in bold typeface is
responsible to make a request to the webserver. This is all being done using the
XMLHttpRequest object ajaxRequest.
function validateUserId() {
ajaxFunction();
// Here processRequest() is the callback function.

ajaxRequest.onreadystatechange = processRequest;
if (!target) target = document.getElementById("userid");

var url = "validate?id=" + escape(target.value);
ajaxRequest.open("GET", url, true);

ajaxRequest.send(null);
}
Assume you enter Zara in the userid box, then in the above request, the URL is set to
"validate?id=Zara".
Webserver Returns the Result Containing XML Document

You can implement your server-side script in any language, however its logic should be as
follows.
Get a request from the client.

Parse the input from the client.
Do required processing.
Send the output to the client.
If we assume that you are going to write a servlet, then here is the piece of code.
public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)

throws IOException, ServletException
{
String targetId = request.getParameter("id");
if ((targetId != null) && !accounts.containsKey(targetId.trim()))

{
response.setContentType("text/xml");
response.setHeader("Cache-Control", "no-cache");
response.getWriter().write("true");
}
else
{
response.setContentType("text/xml");
response.setHeader("Cache-Control", "no-cache");
response.getWriter().write("false");
}
}
Callback Function processRequest() is Called
The XMLHttpRequest object was configured to call the processRequest() function when
there is a state change to the readyState of the XMLHttpRequest object. Now this function
will receive the result from the server and will do the required processing. As in the following
example, it sets a variable message on true or false based on the returned value from the
Webserver.
function processRequest() {
if (req.readyState == 4) {
if (req.status == 200) {
var message = ...;
...
}
The HTML DOM is Updated
This is the final step and in this step, your HTML page will be updated. It happens in the
following way:
JavaScript gets a reference to any element in a page using DOM API.

The recommended way to gain a reference to an element is to call.
document.getElementById("userIdMessage"),
// where "userIdMessage" is the ID attribute
// of an element appearing in the HTML document
JavaScript may now be used to modify the element's attributes; modify the element's
style properties; or add, remove, or modify the child elements. Here is an example:
<script type="text/javascript">

</script>
<body>
<div id="userIdMessage"><div>
</body>
If you have understood the above-mentioned seven steps, then you are almost done with
AJAX

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AJAX:

AJAX, is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications.

AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. AJAX is a new

AJAX - Browser Support

// Internet Explorer Browsers

// Something went wrong

A client event occurs.

The XMLHttpRequest Object is Created

// Opera 8.0+, Firefox, Safari

// Internet Explorer Browsers

// Something went wrong

// Here processRequest() is the callback function.

if (!target) target = document.getElementById("userid");

ajaxRequest.open("GET", url, true);

// Here processRequest() is the callback function.

if (!target) target = document.getElementById("userid");

ajaxRequest.open("GET", url, true);

Webserver Returns the Result Containing XML Document

Get a request from the client.

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)

if ((targetId != null) && !accounts.containsKey(targetId.trim()))

JavaScript gets a reference to any element in a page using DOM API.

var messageBody = document.createTextNode(messageText);

// if the messageBody element has been created simple

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