Advantages and Disadvantages of Ajax
While there are a number of advantages to using Ajax, there are also some disadvantages as well. One of the main reasons why people support it is the interface. Those who use pages with Ajax will find that they operate more like an application rather than a standalone program. With normal web pages, users will have to click on a link if they wish to refresh the page. This can become tedious and inefficient. With Ajax, the page can be refreshed dynamically. The response of the interface to the actions of the user is much faster. Even though Ajax has not yet reached its full capabilities, it is easy to see what is is capable of. Another issue that surrounds Ajax is the use of bandwidth. When HTML is generated within a browser via JavaScript, the Ajax pages can seem to load much faster. The reason for this is because the payload is much smaller. One example of this is a set in which numerous pages exist. When Ajax is used, the table structure connected to TD can be produced in a browser, and it doesn’t have to be initiated with the first part of the document. It should also be noted that some web applications will load pieces of event handlers as the program operates. This technique is useful because it reduces the demand for bandwidth. Since more applications have become complex, this is an issue that must be addressed in the future. The separation of data and formats is also important. When Ajax is used, it allows programmers to make a separation between the methods and formats they use to deliver information via the Internet. While many people simply consider Ajax to be a bundle of languages when they first encounter it, it is the development process that makes it so popular. Some of the things that will be separated are the content that will be placed within XML, and the structure of the web page. In addition to this, the style elements of the page will also be taken into consideration. This is important because it allows the web applications to be much more efficient. At the same time, there are a number of disadvantages to Ajax. These disadvantages must be overcome if the technique is to be a success. One of the biggest problems is the integration of browsers. The page that is dynamically created will not automatically register with the history engine of the browser, so pressing the “back” button might now allow them to get what they want. There are a number of solutions that developers have used for this problem. They may sometimes use IFRAMEs that are invisible to create changes that will be connected to the history of the “back” browser button. One good example of a system that uses invisible IFRAMEs is Google Maps. Once they perform a search using this system, the results will be pulled back into an element that may be visible to the user. It should be noted that the World Wide Web Consortium prefers to use objects rather than iframes. Another problem that Ajax developers are having is bookmarks. When Ajax is used, it is hard for the user to bookmark the state of the web page. There are a number of solutions that have been proposed for this problem, and some utilize the URL fragment identifier. This will allow the users to return to the web page or application at any state. While the URL fragment identifier has been useful in solving many of these problems, it is not a complete answer. Another area in which problems have occurred with Ajax are response time issues. The latency within networks must be heavily considered when developers are building applications with Ajax. If there is not feedback to the user that is clear, the user may see a delay within the interface of the web program. When they first encounter this, they may not understand the situation. When a whole page is rendered, there is a short time in which the content on the page will be altered. If there is not re-adjustment will the small parts of the screen, latency will become obvious to the user. Ajax developers are working with a number of solutions to alleviate these problems.[catlist id=161]
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