Whither AJAX?

[Jeff]

I've been busy hacking my way through my to do list and have come to
writing an interactive help menu. I thought I'd use Ajax here in place
of a popup window. I really dislike popups.

Now, I can think of a handfull of uses for Ajax but since it operates
in the background I'm not seeing much of it the real world.

Who is using ajax in their work or using sites that use it? I'd like
to know what all the excitement is about. I feel like I'm missing
something...

Jeff

 

[mrcakey]

I've been busy hacking my way through my to do list and have come to
writing an interactive help menu. I thought I'd use Ajax here in place of
a popup window. I really dislike popups.

Now, I can think of a handfull of uses for Ajax but since it operates in
the background I'm not seeing much of it the real world.

Who is using ajax in their work or using sites that use it? I'd like to
know what all the excitement is about. I feel like I'm missing
something...

Google maps?

+mrcakey

 

[Mango]

I currently make my living with AJAX, so you'll get some excitement from
me

Most of my life I've been fairly anti-JavaScript...for the simple reason
that I want my sites to be as accessible as possible...and there's STILL
the odd hit we get from someone with Netscape 4 or even 3. So even now,
on public websites at least, I use Javascript only when necessary.

My anti-JavaScriptness changed when I got given a project about two
years ago. "Write a program to keep track of our company's customers,
let staff make changes to name/address details, and have it accept
credit cards to act as a POS if a customer wants to buy something."

The company in question had relatively decent computer equipment, all
running Windows with Firefox/IE...a perfect situation in which to use
all the JavaScript tricks I'd had hidden away. Here are the advantages
to my program:

- It's just as usable and responsive as a desktop application and in
some cases is faster due to having a powerful web server.
- It's easily scalable. If they get a new employee, all they need is a
computer with internet access. There's no special software to install.
And if I wish to make an upgrade, I need only do it on the server.
- Since the application is online, remote access is a non-issue.
Employees may work from home or a branch office.
- It's inexpensive to maintain. My program currently runs off a shared
hosting server that they pay $7/month for. Of course, it could just as
easily run off a setup with a dedicated database server, and
load-balanced web servers.
- Unlimited employees, one credit card processing account.
- Uses industry-standard database such as MySQL or PostgreSQL.

I don't agree with some who say that webapps are going to replace
desktop applications. For instance, I refuse to use webmail. But,
webapps definitely made the most sense for the kind of projects I do.

Hope my point of view helps

-Mango

 

[Jeff]

I currently make my living with AJAX, so you'll get some excitement from
me

Most of my life I've been fairly anti-JavaScript...for the simple reason
that I want my sites to be as accessible as possible...and there's STILL
the odd hit we get from someone with Netscape 4 or even 3. So even now,
on public websites at least, I use Javascript only when necessary.

It's been public or at least back end web maintenance issues I've been
interested in. But it's obvious that amongst the general populace that
javascript is widely left on. I hadn't realized google maps was AJAX and
I suppose all those chat support windows are also.

My anti-JavaScriptness changed when I got given a project about two
years ago. "Write a program to keep track of our company's customers,
let staff make changes to name/address details, and have it accept
credit cards to act as a POS if a customer wants to buy something."

The company in question had relatively decent computer equipment, all
running Windows with Firefox/IE...a perfect situation in which to use
all the JavaScript tricks I'd had hidden away. Here are the advantages
to my program:

- It's just as usable and responsive as a desktop application and in
some cases is faster due to having a powerful web server.
- It's easily scalable. If they get a new employee, all they need is a
computer with internet access. There's no special software to install.
And if I wish to make an upgrade, I need only do it on the server.

I can really see how database type apps really benefit from this. And
that you are running this off shared hosting really knocks the socks off
of running a citrix server.

I see that there a number of AJAX libraries. What do they have to offer?

- Since the application is online, remote access is a non-issue.
Employees may work from home or a branch office.
- It's inexpensive to maintain. My program currently runs off a shared
hosting server that they pay $7/month for. Of course, it could just as
easily run off a setup with a dedicated database server, and
load-balanced web servers.
- Unlimited employees, one credit card processing account.
- Uses industry-standard database such as MySQL or PostgreSQL.

I don't agree with some who say that webapps are going to replace
desktop applications. For instance, I refuse to use webmail.

Yeah!

But,

webapps definitely made the most sense for the kind of projects I do.

Hope my point of view helps

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Travis Newbury]

I currently make my living with AJAX, so you'll get some excitement from
me

There are so many cool technologies out there that open huge doors on
the web. Of course the neigh sayers poo-poo everything that isn't
completely accessible to every human on the planet. But I can hardly
hear them as I am driving to the bank to cash another check.

I don't agree with some who say that webapps are going to replace
desktop applications. For instance, I refuse to use webmail.

No, they will never take over. But I find it interesting about web
mail. It is one of my favorite web applications. (Of course no one
has done it right yet. Close, but no cigar)

 

[Bergamot]

I find it interesting about web
mail. It is one of my favorite web applications. (Of course no one
has done it right yet. Close, but no cigar)

I loathe web mail. Every one I've tried is slow and clumsy and in no way
better than using a real mail client, even <gasp> OE. I'm curious who,
in your opinion, has it "close".

 

[Adrienne Boswell]

I loathe web mail. Every one I've tried is slow and clumsy and in no way
better than using a real mail client, even <gasp> OE. I'm curious who,
in your opinion, has it "close".

I have had Yahoo web mail since 1999. I have always used an email
client (Pegusus mail). Last year, IIRC, Yahoo (webmail) switched over
to a new interface, something to make it "easier" to do mail. It's
horrible, and I have stayed with Classic. Everyone I know who has tried
the new interface switched back to the old one right away.

The thing I find interesting is how many people I know, if I say, "how
do you get your mail?", they point to the big E on their desktop and go
to Yahoo. Of course, these are all people who had BabyBell accounts
before they were swallowed up by Momma again, before the Baby got in bed
with Yahoo.

 

[Mango]

I loathe web mail. Every one I've tried is slow and clumsy and in no way
better than using a real mail client, even <gasp> OE. I'm curious who,
in your opinion, has it "close".

Zimbra is, so far, the best I've seen. When I tried it, you couldn't
set multiple identities. (I use the same email client for work and
personal email.) Other than that, it's a great little app.

http://www.zimbra.com/products/

 

[Mango]

I see that there a number of AJAX libraries. What do they have to offer?

I dunno. I like to write EVERY line of code myself. I'm obsessive that
way. Having said that, here's the function that I tend to use often.

http://www.toao.net/15/ajax-communicate-function/

It's fairly well commented, so even if you don't end up using it, you
should be able to find some good examples.

-Mango