Ajax-Like

AJAX is a well defined term, but the definition doesn't leave much space for applications that behave in an AJAX-like way, but don't employ all the technologies of AJAX. AJAX means:

• Asynchronous
• Javascript
• XML

AjaxLike programs are programs that share many of the same interaction design goals as AJAX, but use different technologies to achieve that interaction. Some may choose a different technology for Server-Browser communication, for example JSON, or they might operate synchronously (e.g. an embedded editor application). Rather than trying to invent new terms for these variants, it's usually easier (and better for advertising) just to describe them as AjaxLike.

AHAH (Asynchronous HTML and HTTP) perfectly qualifies as AjaxLike: It is asynchronous, JavaScript based and uses XML. But it uses only a subset of XML, namely XHTML, and only a subset of JavaScript, because it just replaces sections of a XHTML document with new contents. The demos in MiniAhah still work (though the implementation could be significantly simplified with sectional view, which was not available when the topic was created).

-- Contributors: CrawfordCurrie, HaraldJoerg

Discussion

Is AJAX-like an industry term? Or a concept here on TWiki.org to help explain things?

-- PeterThoeny - 24 Jul 2007

Quite a number of hits suggest it is a familiar term: Google:"AJAX-like"

-- ArthurClemens - 24 Jul 2007