Introduction to AJAX

Speaker: Gary Short, Senior Developer for Charteris PLC

AJAX, an acronym coined by Jesse James Garrett, is not a language but an approach to developing web-based applications. It utilises a set of technologies to enhance user experience on the Internet by allowing further information to be gathered from the server, asynchronously, without the page having to be reloaded.

In this demonstration Gary will examine the history and evolution of AJAX, before taking a look at some popular web sites that make use of AJAX. The demonstration will end with a code example showing use of AJAX to enhance user experience, and a question-and-answer session. Amazon, Google and Flickr are a few of the companies implementing AJAX in their websites, with many others following suit. The excitement around AJAX ensures this is a "must attend" session for anyone involved in web design and development.

Gary Short is a Microsoft Certified Applications Developer, currently employed in the role of Senior Software Developer at Charteris. He has 17 years industry experience in both desktop and web-enabled application development. Previously, he has worked for a number of blue-chip companies including Amex, IMS Health and Scottish & Southern Energy. His current interests include SCRUM and TDD.