Ajax propaganda and the status quo: technology to change the portal experience

Ajax

Richard Monson-haefel, senior analyst at Burton Group in Midvale, Utah, said that when it comes to the hype about rich Internet applications (Rich Internet application, RIA) technology, Even less is better. This technology can greatly promote the user's web experience, because no longer need to refresh the page from the server, Ajax style is a single page interface. But in a recent television clip on Ajax, he says overuse can lead to difficulty navigating.

Ajax's main advantage over other RIA technologies, he says, is seamless integration with HTML, so it can be used heavily without changing existing Web content. "Think of it as a condiment for a web site." The risk of doing so is very small. Ajax is not relevant in the background and does not require any plug-ins. Combined with other RIA technologies, such as Macromedia Flash, Ajax can be a powerful tool. ”

However, the technology is not yet mature, and tools and frameworks are not yet supported. "If you don't like using Toolset and class libraries, Ajax is not for you," says Monson-haefel. ”

The Burton group defines "rich" Internet applications as being able to provide functionality on top of standard HTML frameworks and links. Google Maps is such an excellent example of Ajax.

Unlike Ajax, which was recently presented differently, JavaScript has existed for a long time. It is based on javascript/ecmascript, cascading style sheets, Document object models, and XML HTTP requests. Initially, it is difficult to design AJAX-style applications across different browsers. But now, mainstream browsers have evolved to support the implementation of Microsoft technology and become the most common feature.

Today, the dominant RIA technology is the Flash/flex of Macromedia. Other RIA technologies include the user Interface Markup language developed for Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation, called XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language, Extensible Application Markup Language). There are also Mozilla's xml-based user interface language xul,droplets and Java applets and Microsoft's upcoming Windows Presentation Foundation/everywhere (wpf/e).

Monson-haefe said: "Flash is a good technology, suitable for rich animation and graphics, but Flash is like a small pond in the big fish." The real market is not that big now, so it's doubtful whether it will be able to occupy the market as the market gets bigger. And Microsoft will launch a wpf/e will be a strong competitor. ”

Microsoft also plans to launch an AJAX framework extension called Atlas. Monson-haefel thinks it's very promising. Other integrated development environments for Ajax have not yet become mainstream, he said. This includes Morfik Technology's JavaScript synthsis Technology (JST), JetBrains Company's IntelliJ Idea 5.0, TIBCO software company TIBCO General Interface (GI), Jackbe Company's visual GUI Builder, Backbase B.V. Company's backbase and open source Ruby on Rails framework.

"It has built-in AJAX capabilities that enable you to write AJAX applications in the Ruby programming language," he said. ”

"The Tibco tool for writing AJAX applications is very good," Monson-haefel said. Jackbe is also a fairly good RIA technology and backbase may be the better one now. The advantage of the IDE is what you see as the way you get your development, but you buy their GUI so you are bound by the perception. ”

In addition to the IDE and framework extensions, Monson-haefel also mentions a number of available Ajax UI tools and Remote tools, including proprietary and Open-source products. He said only part of it. According to a recent survey by Burton Group, the most popular Toolset, class library, and framework extension for 488 Ajax developers is the JAVASCRIPT framework--prototype,javascript class Library with an MIT-style certificate- Script.aclo.us, the direct Web Remoting with the Apache 2.0 certificate, has the Dojo UI toolset for academic free License v 2.1 and Ruby on Rails.

As for data, the focus on Ajax is focused on the Web site of the Business-to-consumer, but Monson-haefel that Ajax is actually closely linked to Web services and SOA, which can affect the Enterprise Portal.

"Some people believe that Ajax will be a major recovery factor for portal solutions." The portal has been advertised for a long time, but in reality it is not the so-called silver bullet. The combination of the Ajax presentation layer and the portal will promote the experience of all users. ”

Monson-haefel warns that Ajax can easily be abused. "If developers don't understand the use theory, they will use it indiscriminately and people will deliberately avoid javascript." My reasoning comes from the browser pop-up window. This technology is derived from an available feature, but it is no longer used because it is abused as an inferior citizen of web technology. ”