RE: How to choose an Ajax Framework
This is a reaction to article (or is it a commercial) ‘How to choose an Ajax Framework’.
The idea behind client side only AJAX is that you don’t have to do a lot of complicated javascript work yourself. The difficult stuff is done by the lib and you only have to call it upon HTML event.
Since the code is actually executed on the client, having client-side code, makes the code base simpler. The lines of code will most likely be less than with a server side solution. The only drawback is that you do need to program some javascript. This might be a new language to you and therefor uncomfortable.
There is a third key of AJAX framework not discussed in this articled. These framework are usually described as RIA (Rich Internet Application) platforms. These frameworks parse XML much like how XHTML is parsed by the browser. The XML contains a lot more nodes types than HTML and is usually extendable. So instead of only having having an <input> tag, you will have things like <tree> and <datagrid>.
Ajax calls are also represented as XML and neat things like databinding is also supported.
RIA frameworks:
Abode Flex
Javeline PlatForm
Dojo Dijit
OpenLaszlo
If you’re working on a web based application and not at a website RIA platforms are certainly worth having a look at. OpenLaszlo has got a good screencast, which is representative for all of these frameworks.
30 Sep 2007 Arnold Daniels
Hi Arnold (yup it’s me
I don’t disagree with you (very much) but the fact you’re ignoring is that my list of Ajax Frameworks was just that; _Ajax_ Frameworks (btw, it’s with small letters – j, a and x)
Ajax means Asynchronous JavaScript And XML( – HTTPRequest someone will argue) which is a requirement that none of the above RIA (Rich Internet Application) Frameworks can meet…
(Since they neither use JavaScript nor XMLHTTPRequest)
RIA is a superset of Ajax which encapsulates all the other Frameworks you’re mentioning, but unless they totally rebuild their entire platforms neither Adobe, MSFT nor Lazlo will be able to call their RIA Frameworks for Ajax Frameworks…
I even mention this (very subtle) myself too in the original blog where I say “Fat Client Solution like Silverlight, Flex etc”…
Btw, the commenting bug (I think) is due to session timeout (weak solution) when you’re spending more than 20 minutes writing your comment…
First of all, lets drop the childish syntax discussions, both forms are correct. Second there is no need to specify the definition to me.
These days Ajax frameworks embody much more than asynchronous communication, even though that is what the definition states. If you look at Dojo for instance, the Ajax communication layer is only a small piece and the widgets are just as important.
Except of Flex, all the example frameworks do use Javascript and XML. Flex uses actionscript and XML, which to my opinion as a technicality.
The importance is not about the inner workings of a software lib, but the problems it solves and possibilities it creates. Anyone looking into creating a more advanced web applications, first decide which of these 3 types is best.