January 18, 2019
3 min Read
Herawan
AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It is a set of web development techniques which allow web applications to work asynchronously – processing any requests to the server in the background. Wait, what is AJAX again? Let’s go over each terminology separately.
JavaScript is a well-known coding language. Amongst its other functionality, it manages dynamic content of a website and allows dynamic user interaction. XML is another variant of a markup language like HTML, as suggested by the name – eXtensible Markup Language. If HTML is designed to display data, XML is designed to contain and carry data.
Both JavaScript and XML work asynchronously in AJAX. As a result, any web application using AJAX can send and retrieve data from the server without the need to reload the entire page.
Think of the Google Autocomplete feature. It helps you complete your keywords while you are typing them. The keywords change in real time yet the page remains the same. In the early 90s, where the internet wasn’t as advanced, the same feature would require Google to reload your page every time a new recommendation popping up on your screen. AJAX allows data interchange and the presentation layer to work simultaneously without interfering each other’s function.
The AJAX concept has actually been around since the mid-90s. However, it gained wider recognition when Google started to incorporate the concept on Google Mail and Google Maps in 2004. Today, it is widely used in various web applications to streamline the server communication process.
Here are more helpful examples of AJAX being used in our everyday lives.
Simply put, AJAX makes multitasking easy. If you ever notice a similar situation where two operations work simultaneously, with one running and one being idle, that might be AJAX doing its thing.
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Bear in mind that AJAX is not a single technology, nor is it a programming language. As stated before, AJAX is a set of web development techniques. The system generally comprises of:
You may need some technical knowledge to understand it fully. However, the general procedure of how AJAX works is quite simple. Take a look at the diagram and table below for further comparison.
Diagram:
Comparison table:
Conventional model | AJAX model |
During this process, users have no choice but to wait until the whole process is done. Not only is it time-consuming, but it will also place an unnecessary load on the server. |
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Definition aside, the best perk of using AJAX is that it streamlines the user experience. Your visitors do not have to wait long to access your content. However, it depends on what you need as well. Google, for instance, lets the users choose between AJAX and a conventional version when using Google Mail. Put your users’ need at the top of your list and use AJAX accordingly.
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