Every user action that normally would generate an Hi TP request takes the form of a JavaScript call to the Ajax engine instead. Any response to a user action that doesnt require a trip back to the server such as simple data validation editing data in memory, and even some navigation- the eng ine hand les on its own. If the engine needs something from the server in order to respond - if it 's submitting data for processing loading additio nal interface code, or retrievin new data the engine makes those requests asynchronously, usually using XML, without stalling a user's interaction with the application Whos Using Ajax Google is making a huge investment in develo ping the ajax approach. All of the major products Google has introduced over the last year -Orkut, gmail, the latest beta version of Google Groups, Google Suggest, and Google Maps - are Ajax applications. (For more on the technical nuts and bolts of these Ajax imp lamentations, check out these excellent analyses of gmail, Google Suggest and Google Maps. Others are following suit: many of the features that people love in Flickr depend on Ajax, and Amazons A9. com search engine applies similar techniq rojects demonstrate that ajax is not only technically sound, but also practical for real-world applications. This isnt another technology that only And Ajax appl size, from the vel simple, single-function Google Suggest to the very complex and sophisticated wn work with Aj the last several months, and were realizing we've only scratched the surface of the rich interaction and responsiveness that Ajax applications can provide. Ajax is an important development for Web applications, and its importance is only going to grow. And because there are so many developers out there who already know how to use these technologies, we expect to see many more organizations following Googles lead in reaping the competitive advantage Ajax provides Moving Forward The biggest challenges in creating ajax applications are not technica l. the core Ajax technologies are mature, stable, and well understood Instead, the challenges are for the designers of these applications: to forget what we thinkEvery user action that normally would generate an HTTP request takes the form of a JavaScript call to the Ajax engine instead. Any response to a user action that doesn’t require a trip back to the server — such as simple data validation, editing data in memory, and even some navigation — the engine handles on its own. If the engine needs something f rom the server in order to respond — if it’s submitting data for processing, loading additional interface code, or retrieving new data — the engine makes those requests asynchronously, usually using XML, without stalling a user’s interaction with the application. Who’s Using Ajax Google is making a huge investment in developing the Ajax approach. All of the major products Google has introduced over the last year — Orkut, Gmail, the latest beta version of Google Groups, Google Suggest, and Google Maps — are Ajax applications. (For more on the technical nuts and bolts of these Ajax implementations, check out these excellent analyses of Gmail, Google Suggest, and Google Maps.) Others are following suit: many of the features that people love in Flickr depend on Ajax, and Amazon’s A9.com search engine applies similar techniques. These projects demonstrate that Ajax is not only technically sound, but also practical for real-world applications. This isn’t another technology that only works in a laboratory. And Ajax applications can be any size, f rom the very simple, single-function Google Suggest to the very complex and sophisticated Google Maps. At Adaptive Path, we’ve been doing our own work with Ajax over the last several months, and we’re realizing we’ve only scratched the surface of the rich interaction and responsiveness that Ajax applications can provide. Ajax is an important development for Web applications, and its importance is only going to grow. And because there are so many developers out there who already know how to use these technologies, we expect to see many more organizations following Google’s lead in reaping the competitive advantage Ajax provides. Moving Forward The biggest challenges in creating Ajax applications are not technical. The core Ajax technologies are mature, stable, and well understood. Instead, the challenges are for the designers of these applications: to forget what we think