AUDIENCE:   This course is for Web developers or desktop application developers with significant experience in web technologies, who wish to develop the skills needed to apply AJAX technologies to existing web applications, or to architect and implement new applications that can benefit from the AJAX approach. PREREQUISITES:   Delegates must be technical staff with solid experience using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in conventional web pages including web-based forms, as well as familiarity with XML. DURATION:   4 days. Hands on. OBJECTIVES:   AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript And XML) is the popular term for a broad collection of technologies and techniques that enable web-based applications to have the usability and responsiveness previously achievable only by installed applications. AJAX is a key element in the Web 2.0 revolution, and now seems poised to revolutionize software development in general with the promise of ending the hassles of deployment, installation, and release management for specialized applications. The course is roughly 75% hands-on workshops combined with short lecture sessions to provide explanation and introduction to techniques, and to position the workshop experience within the overall application development picture. Emphasis is on understanding and directly implementing basic AJAX techniques and using some essential client-side libraries to implement AJAX apps productively; and on applying these techniques to enhance the user experience and to support an effective application architecture. On completion of the course delegates will: - Fully understand what AJAX is, how it works, and what differentiates an AJAX application from a conventional web application. - Be able to improve usability of existing web pages by combining AJAX techniques and page elements with static elements. - Be able to send and receive data from the application server without interrupting the user’s workflow by refreshing the page. - Use such data in either XML or JSON format to add to, remove from, or update the page’s content. - Understand how asynchronous updates may improve (or detract from) the user’s experience and perception of the application. - Have solid experience using development tools including Javascript debuggers, DOM inspectors, and profilers to observe, debug and improve performance of AJAX apps. - Implement and bring home a set of frequently-used AJAX interaction techniques to use as a starting points in adding AJAX to actual applications. - Be able to use popular libraries including Prototype, Dojo, Sarissa, and Scriptaculous to simplify AJAX implementation and insure cross-browser compatibility. - Understand and apply the Model-View-Controller pattern in designing, implementing and refactoring user-interfaces. - Understand the value and features of emerging AJAX frameworks and support for server tools supporting AJAX techniques including RubyOnRails, Backbase, Atlas, Telerik, Tibco. COURSE CONTENT:   What Is AJAX? How AJAX is different from classic web pages Its impact on the user experience What kind of applications can benefit Who is using it now, and why Why AJAX totally changes Web Application development How AJAX can be integrated with conventional Web Applications Basic AJAX Techniques Using CSS to define look and feel Understanding the DOM Using JavaScript to create, remove, move and stylize content Communicating with the server (Iframes, XmlDocument, XMLHttpRequest) Essential AJAX Development Tools Using AJAX Effectively Managing Asynchronous Activities Impacts on User Experience Impacts on the Development Process Patterns To Guide Implementation Application Evolution and Code Reuse The Value of Libraries JavaScript Way Beyond "on" Methods It may look like Java, but it is not Managing Data Object-based JavaScript Callbacks/Events Specific - And Reusable - AJAX Techniques Related Combo Boxes Type-Ahead Suggestions Information Pop-Ups Server-Side Validation Autosaved Forms Maps Logins Portals and Personalization It is Not Just "Pages" Anymore Application Architecture The Model-View-Controller Pattern Separating the Controller from the View Separating the Model from the View The Role of the Server Client-Side Controller Implementation You Don’t Need to Invent It All Widgets and User Interface Effects Remote Procedure Calls Mashups and Web Services Scriptaculous Dojo Sarissa JSON-RPC/DWR Building A Multi-User AJAX Application A significantly complex client-server application that would be ineffective without AJAX is implemented over several workshop sessions. Production-Ready AJAX There’s more to an App than the Client-Side Keeping the User Happy What to Do When the Servers Not There Security and Privacy Test and Maintenance Performance Memory Usage Overview of Frameworks Supporting Ajax What they do and when to consider them Backbase Telerik Atlas RubyOnRails GH07/01