AJAX or as I like to call it, DHTML (from: Scott’s Place)
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Lately there has been significant buzz about a new way to build web-apps called AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML). I have always called this DHTML, but Ajax is a catchy name. If Ajax gets people excited about rich web applications, than it is a great name.
As Adam Bosworth explained on Dare’s blog, we built Ajax-like web applications back in 1997 during and after shipping IE4 (I drove the design of DHTML and worked closely with the W3C during this period). At that time xmlhttp (or xml for that matter) did not exist. Instead, structured data was passed back and forth encapsulated in Javascript via hidden IFrames. This experimental work helped prove the need for a structured, standardized approach for managing and transporting data.
Over the years, quite a few web applications have been built using similar approaches - many are Intranet applications and one of the best was Outlook Web Access. However, very few main-stream web-sites appeared. I believe this was due to a number of factors - the largest being that the typical web user-experience falls apart when you start building web-based applications. The user-interface issues revolve mostly around history and refresh. (For example - In GMail, navigate around your inbox and either refresh the page or use the back button. In Spaces (IE Users), expand and view comments and hit the back button. I am willing to wager that what happens is not what you really want). The problem lies in we are building rich applications in an immature application environment. We are essentially attempting to morph the current state of the browser from a dynamic form package to a rich application platform.
I do credit Google for publically pushing the envelope for rich web applications (although I am still curious as to my Mom’s reaction/ confusion as she attempts to navigate). This paradigm shift is much overdue and forces us to focus on delivering the best features with the best experience to our customers.
Just like I believe the early experiments on the web led to the applications today, these applications defined by rich customer and social networking experiences are going to drive requirements for the technologies tomorrow. I still view the web as being very immature and we are starting to enter a new phase in the web’s evolution.
While I am not going to make any predictions, I know I am looking beyond Ajax and what I see is very exciting.