In the spirit of hitting the ground running with real-world examples, the first part of the book relies on a single chapter to lay the groundwork for what is to come in the form of a quick and dirty AJAX primer. A few popular AJAX applications are presented for context, and then the underlying technologies that make AJAX possible are briefly explained. Finally, the applications covered in the remainder of the book are presented to help spark the reader to dive into the meat of the topic. The second part of the book is where everything interesting takes place. In no particular order, except possibly in increasing complexity, nine distinct AJAX examples are presented chapter-by-chapter. Each example serves as a stand-alone application or application enhancement, and can be easily customized and reused with minimal effort on the part of the reader. Each chapter is organized with a similar structure to help build familiarity as the projects unfold: a challenge followed by a design, and then culminating in a construction process and test. Following each application test there is also an "Extreme AJAX Makeover" section that lays out possible enhancements the reader can make to the example code to make it even more useful and powerful. Product Description
Supercharge Your Sites with Ajax Right Now...No Scripting Expertise Needed!
You've heard how great Ajax is--how it can help make your Web sites more usable, more interactive, more responsive, more successful. Ajax Construction Kit lets you put Ajax to work right now, even if you've never written a script! Just learn a few essentials, check out a few examples, then run the live CD and discover all the plug-and-play code you need to hit the ground running. Ajax Construction Kit's built-in applications work right out of the box. And with easy guidance from Michael Morrison, you'll gradually deepen your understanding--learn how to customize, extend, and reuse these applications---and even build skills for creating new ones. Walk away an expert.
Use Ajax Construction Kit's ten complete applications to
Dynamically load Web data
Dynamically populate lists
Tap into RSS news feeds
Use AutoComplete to reduce input errors
Create more responsive GUIs with real-time validation
Build a killer interface for viewing images
Present information or advertising with slick pop-ups
Provide an up-to-the-minute weather forecast
Build an e-commerce product shipping calculator
Add ratings tools to your site
And more...
CD-ROM Includes
Your complete Ajax projects: Run the Ajax projects (HTML, JavaScript, and PHP source code) that are included on the CD from your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system.
Your complete Ajax environment: Boot the CD as an Ubuntu Linux live CD to immediately begin working with the Ajax projects (no setup required).
Ready-to-run tools on the CD include the XAMPP Web server, Firefox Web browser, and Bluefish HTML editor.
System Requirements:
Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac (OS X or higher)
Processor: Intel-based processor (Pentium or higher)
Memory: 128 MB RAM or more
Disk space: None required; USB thumb drive optional to store data
Optical drive: CD reader
Negus Live Linux Series
Your Practical, Hands-On Guides to Getting Real Results with Free Software
Add the free software and examples from the book's CD to your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system to follow along with the projects described in the book. Or boot the CD directly to use a complete, prepackaged set of free software tools to play, display, and modify those projects. Start as a novice, by trying out examples...and finish with professional Ajax-enabled Web content!
SERIES EDITOR CHRISTOPHER NEGUS is the bestselling author of the Red Hat Linux Bible series, Linux Toys series, and this series' flagship title, Linux Live CDs.
Backcover
Supercharge Your Sites with Ajax Right Now...No Scripting Expertise Needed!
You've heard how great Ajax is--how it can help make your Web sites more usable, more interactive, more responsive, more successful. Ajax Construction Kit lets you put Ajax to work right now, even if you've never written a script! Just learn a few essentials, check out a few examples, then run the live CD and discover all the plug-and-play code you need to hit the ground running. Ajax Construction Kit's built-in applications work right out of the box. And with easy guidance from Michael Morrison, you'll gradually deepen your understanding--learn how to customize, extend, and reuse these applications--and even build skills for creating new ones. Walk away an expert.
Use Ajax Construction Kit's ten complete applications to
Dynamically load Web data
Dynamically populate lists
Tap into RSS news feeds
Use AutoComplete to reduce input errors
Create more responsive GUIs with real-time validation
Build a killer interface for viewing images
Present information or advertising with slick pop-ups
Provide an up-to-the-minute weather forecast
Build an e-commerce product shipping calculator
Add ratings tools to your site
And more...
CD-ROM Includes
Your complete Ajax projects: Run the Ajax projects (HTML, JavaScript, and PHP source code) that are included on the CD from your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system.
Your complete Ajax environment: Boot the CD as an Ubuntu Linux live CD to immediately begin working with the Ajax projects (no setup required).
Ready-to-run tools on the CD include the XAMPP Web server, Firefox Web browser, and Bluefish HTML editor.
System Requirements:
Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac (OS X or higher)
Processor: Intel-based processor (Pentium or higher)
Memory: 128 MB RAM or more
Disk space: None required; USB thumb drive optional to store data
Optical drive: CD reader
Negus Live Linux Series
Your Practical, Hands-On Guides to Getting Real Results with Free Software
Add the free software and examples from the book's CD to your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system to follow along with the projects described in the book. Or boot the CD directly to use a complete, prepackaged set of free software tools to play, display, and modify those projects. Start as a novice, by trying out examples...and finish with professional Ajax-enabled Web content!
SERIES EDITOR CHRISTOPHER NEGUS is the bestselling author of the Red Hat Linux Bible series, Linux Toys series, and this series's flagship title, Linux Live CDs.
Introduction 1
Part I Ajax Boot Camp
1 Ajax and a Brave New World Wide Web 9
2 Inside an Ajax Application 25
Part II Building Real-World Ajax Applications
3 Dynamically Loading Web Data: An XML E-Book Viewer 49
4 Using Ajax to Dynamically Populate Lists: A Stock Picker 75
5 Tapping into RSS News Feeds 97
6 Reading the User's Mind with Auto-Complete 121
7 Creating Responsive GUIs with Real-Time Validation 139
8 A Killer Interface for Image Viewing 159
9 Presenting Information with Slick Popups 171
10 Forecasting the Weather with Ajax 189
11 Building an Ajax Shipping Calculator 205
12 Adding an Ajax-Powered Rating System to Your Site 231
Part III Appendices
Appendix A The Past, Present, and Future of Ajax 257
Appendix B A Quick and Dirty XMLHttpRequest Reference 261
Appendix C Using the Live Linux CD 271
Introduction 1
Part I Ajax Boot Camp
1 Ajax and a Brave New World Wide Web 9
2 Inside an Ajax Application 25
Part II Building Real-World Ajax Applications
3 Dynamically Loading Web Data: An XML E-Book Viewer 49
4 Using Ajax to Dynamically Populate Lists: A Stock Picker 75
5 Tapping into RSS News Feeds 97
6 Reading the User's Mind with Auto-Complete 121
7 Creating Responsive GUIs with Real-Time Validation 139
8 A Killer Interface for Image Viewing 159
9 Presenting Information with Slick Popups 171
10 Forecasting the Weather with Ajax 189
11 Building an Ajax Shipping Calculator 205
12 Adding an Ajax-Powered Rating System to Your Site 231
Part III Appendices
Appendix A The Past, Present, and Future of Ajax 257
Appendix B A Quick and Dirty XMLHttpRequest Reference 261
Appendix C Using the Live Linux CD 271
Supercharge Your Sites with Ajax Right Now...No Scripting Expertise Needed!
You've heard how great Ajax is--how it can help make your Web sites more usable, more interactive, more responsive, more successful. Ajax Construction Kit lets you put Ajax to work right now, even if you've never written a script! Just learn a few essentials, check out a few examples, then run the live CD and discover all the plug-and-play code you need to hit the ground running. Ajax Construction Kit's built-in applications work right out of the box. And with easy guidance from Michael Morrison, you'll gradually deepen your understanding--learn how to customize, extend, and reuse these applications---and even build skills for creating new ones. Walk away an expert.
Use Ajax Construction Kit's ten complete applications to
Dynamically load Web data
Dynamically populate lists
Tap into RSS news feeds
Use AutoComplete to reduce input errors
Create more responsive GUIs with real-time validation
Build a killer interface for viewing images
Present information or advertising with slick pop-ups
Provide an up-to-the-minute weather forecast
Build an e-commerce product shipping calculator
Add ratings tools to your site
And more...
CD-ROM Includes
Your complete Ajax projects: Run the Ajax projects (HTML, JavaScript, and PHP source code) that are included on the CD from your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system.
Your complete Ajax environment: Boot the CD as an Ubuntu Linux live CD to immediately begin working with the Ajax projects (no setup required).
Ready-to-run tools on the CD include the XAMPP Web server, Firefox Web browser, and Bluefish HTML editor.
System Requirements:
Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac (OS X or higher)
Processor: Intel-based processor (Pentium or higher)
Memory: 128 MB RAM or more
Disk space: None required; USB thumb drive optional to store data
Optical drive: CD reader
Negus Live Linux Series
Your Practical, Hands-On Guides to Getting Real Results with Free Software
Add the free software and examples from the book's CD to your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system to follow along with the projects described in the book. Or boot the CD directly to use a complete, prepackaged set of free software tools to play, display, and modify those projects. Start as a novice, by trying out examples...and finish with professional Ajax-enabled Web content!
SERIES EDITOR CHRISTOPHER NEGUS is the bestselling author of the Red Hat Linux Bible series, Linux Toys series, and this series' flagship title, Linux Live CDs.
Backcover
Supercharge Your Sites with Ajax Right Now...No Scripting Expertise Needed!
You've heard how great Ajax is--how it can help make your Web sites more usable, more interactive, more responsive, more successful. Ajax Construction Kit lets you put Ajax to work right now, even if you've never written a script! Just learn a few essentials, check out a few examples, then run the live CD and discover all the plug-and-play code you need to hit the ground running. Ajax Construction Kit's built-in applications work right out of the box. And with easy guidance from Michael Morrison, you'll gradually deepen your understanding--learn how to customize, extend, and reuse these applications--and even build skills for creating new ones. Walk away an expert.
Use Ajax Construction Kit's ten complete applications to
Dynamically load Web data
Dynamically populate lists
Tap into RSS news feeds
Use AutoComplete to reduce input errors
Create more responsive GUIs with real-time validation
Build a killer interface for viewing images
Present information or advertising with slick pop-ups
Provide an up-to-the-minute weather forecast
Build an e-commerce product shipping calculator
Add ratings tools to your site
And more...
CD-ROM Includes
Your complete Ajax projects: Run the Ajax projects (HTML, JavaScript, and PHP source code) that are included on the CD from your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system.
Your complete Ajax environment: Boot the CD as an Ubuntu Linux live CD to immediately begin working with the Ajax projects (no setup required).
Ready-to-run tools on the CD include the XAMPP Web server, Firefox Web browser, and Bluefish HTML editor.
System Requirements:
Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac (OS X or higher)
Processor: Intel-based processor (Pentium or higher)
Memory: 128 MB RAM or more
Disk space: None required; USB thumb drive optional to store data
Optical drive: CD reader
Negus Live Linux Series
Your Practical, Hands-On Guides to Getting Real Results with Free Software
Add the free software and examples from the book's CD to your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system to follow along with the projects described in the book. Or boot the CD directly to use a complete, prepackaged set of free software tools to play, display, and modify those projects. Start as a novice, by trying out examples...and finish with professional Ajax-enabled Web content!
SERIES EDITOR CHRISTOPHER NEGUS is the bestselling author of the Red Hat Linux Bible series, Linux Toys series, and this series's flagship title, Linux Live CDs.
Introduction 1
Part I Ajax Boot Camp
1 Ajax and a Brave New World Wide Web 9
2 Inside an Ajax Application 25
Part II Building Real-World Ajax Applications
3 Dynamically Loading Web Data: An XML E-Book Viewer 49
4 Using Ajax to Dynamically Populate Lists: A Stock Picker 75
5 Tapping into RSS News Feeds 97
6 Reading the User's Mind with Auto-Complete 121
7 Creating Responsive GUIs with Real-Time Validation 139
8 A Killer Interface for Image Viewing 159
9 Presenting Information with Slick Popups 171
10 Forecasting the Weather with Ajax 189
11 Building an Ajax Shipping Calculator 205
12 Adding an Ajax-Powered Rating System to Your Site 231
Part III Appendices
Appendix A The Past, Present, and Future of Ajax 257
Appendix B A Quick and Dirty XMLHttpRequest Reference 261
Appendix C Using the Live Linux CD 271
Introduction 1
Part I Ajax Boot Camp
1 Ajax and a Brave New World Wide Web 9
2 Inside an Ajax Application 25
Part II Building Real-World Ajax Applications
3 Dynamically Loading Web Data: An XML E-Book Viewer 49
4 Using Ajax to Dynamically Populate Lists: A Stock Picker 75
5 Tapping into RSS News Feeds 97
6 Reading the User's Mind with Auto-Complete 121
7 Creating Responsive GUIs with Real-Time Validation 139
8 A Killer Interface for Image Viewing 159
9 Presenting Information with Slick Popups 171
10 Forecasting the Weather with Ajax 189
11 Building an Ajax Shipping Calculator 205
12 Adding an Ajax-Powered Rating System to Your Site 231
Part III Appendices
Appendix A The Past, Present, and Future of Ajax 257
Appendix B A Quick and Dirty XMLHttpRequest Reference 261
Appendix C Using the Live Linux CD 271