Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Build interactive Web applications with Ajax

Create live searches and online spreadsheets

Discover programming mistakes to avoid!

Create blazing-fast Web applications with powerful Ajax

If you think that mastering Ajax is too difficult, guess again. You can create Web applications that look and feel like desktop apps in less time than you think with the comprehensive Ajax instruction in this in-depth book. You'll find easy-to-follow tutorials, hundreds of tips and tricks, and so much practical information that even skilled developers will reach for this book first. Let this Bible be your guide as you jump into the hottest Web programming technology in years.

* Master the fundamentals--JavaScript(r), XML, dynamic HTML, and CSS
*

Tie Ajax into Google with the Google(r) API
*

Handle simultaneous XMLHttpRequest objects in Ajax
*

Use Ajax frameworks such as Ruby on Rails, AjaxTags, and others
*

Understand the Document Object Model (DOM)
*

Create floating menus and effects with CSS
*

Encrypt data over plain HTTP using JavaScript
*

Adapt real-world examples to your own programs

Companion Web site

Find all the code used throughout the book at www.wiley.com/go/ajaxbible

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface (p. xiii)
• Acknowledgments (p. xvii)
• Part I Fundamental Ajax (p. 1)
• Chapter 1 Essential Ajax (p. 3)
• What Does "Ajax" Mean? (p. 6)
• What Can You Do with Ajax? (p. 8)
• Create Ajax live searches (p. 8)
• Create an Ajax-enabled calculator (p. 9)
• Talk with Ajax chat applications (p. 10)
• Crunch numbers with spreadsheets (p. 12)
• Browse Amazon (p. 12)
• Get the answer with Ajax autocomplete (p. 13)
• Log in with Ajax (p. 15)
• Download images (p. 17)
• Drag and drop with Ajax (p. 18)
• Play games with Ajax (p. 21)
• Modify Web pages on the fly (p. 24)
• Add interactivity to maps (p. 29)
• E-mail the Ajax way (p. 30)
• Summary (p. 32)
• Chapter 2 Know Your JavaScript (p. 33)
• What Is JavaScript's Place in Ajax? (p. 33)
• A Brief History of JavaScript (p. 36)
• Getting Started with JavaScript (p. 37)
• Fixing errors (p. 39)
• Commenting your code (p. 42)
• Putting your code in external script files (p. 43)
• Responding to browser events (p. 44)
• Creating JavaScript Functions (p. 47)
• Passing arguments to functions (p. 52)
• Returning values from functions (p. 57)
• Storing Your Data in Variables (p. 60)
• Operating on Your Data with Operators (p. 62)
• Making Decisions with the If Statement (p. 65)
• Executing Different Code in Different Browsers (p. 68)
• Working with Loops (p. 73)
• Looping with the for loop (p. 74)
• Looping with the while loop (p. 75)
• Connecting JavaScript to HTML Buttons (p. 79)
• Summary (p. 81)
• Chapter 3 Creating Ajax Applications (p. 83)
• Writing Ajax (p. 83)
• Setting up the application (p. 86)
• Writing the JavaScript (p. 87)
• Creating an XMLHttpRequest object (p. 87)
• Opening the XMLHttpRequest object (p. 92)
• Handling data downloads (p. 95)
• Getting your data (p. 98)
• Downloading the data (p. 100)
• More ways to create XMLHttpRequest objects (p. 101)
• Interacting with Server-Side Code (p. 103)
• Passing Data to Server-Side Scripts (p. 106)
• Passing data to the server with GET (p. 106)
• Passing data to the server with POST (p. 110)
• Using Ajax with XML (p. 115)
• Creating the XML (p. 117)
• Downloading the XML (p. 118)
• Summary (p. 125)
• Chapter 4 Serious Ajax Programming (p. 127)
• Working with Multiple Concurrent XMLHttpRequest Requests (p. 128)
• Using multiple XMLHttpRequest objects (p. 130)
• Storing XMLHttpRequest objects in an array (p. 134)
• Using inner functions (p. 138)
• Handling JavaScript Sent from the Server (p. 145)
• Returning JavaScript (p. 145)
• Returning JavaScript objects (p. 149)
• Connecting to Google Suggest (p. 151)
• Calling Another Domain in Ajax (p. 159)
• A Login Example (p. 160)
• Working with Ajax and Head Requests (p. 163)
• Getting all head data (p. 163)
• Getting specific head data (p. 166)
• Eliminate Caching (p. 167)
• Summary (p. 168)
• Part II Ajax in Depth (p. 169)
• Chapter 5 Introducing Ajax Frameworks (p. 171)
• Using the Ajax Utility Library (p. 171)
• Get text from the server with getText (p. 175)
• Get XML from the server with getXml (p. 180)
• Post data to the server and get text back (p. 187)
• Post data to the server and get XML back (p. 193)
• Using libXmlRequest to Download XML (p. 203)
• Using AjaxLib to Download XML (p. 207)
• Summary (p. 209)
• Chapter 6 More Advanced Ajax Frameworks (p. 211)
• Using the Majax Framework (p. 211)
• Using the Sack Framework (p. 216)
• Using the XHConn Framework (p. 221)
• Using the uniAjax Framework (p. 226)
• Using the AjaxGear Framework (p. 229)
• Using the AjaxRequest Framework (p. 234)
• Using the Http Framework to Avoid Caching (p. 239)
• Using the Sarissa Framework to Handle XML (p. 242)
• Using the Interactive Website Framework to Handle XML (p. 247)
• Summary (p. 250)
• Chapter 7 Using Server-Side Ajax Frameworks (p. 251)
• Working with PHP-Based Frameworks (p. 251)
• Using Sajax and PHP (p. 251)
• Using Xajax and PHP (p. 260)
• Using LibAjax and PHP (p. 265)
• Working with Java-Based Frameworks (p. 271)
• Using Direct Web Remoting and Java (p. 271)
• Using Ajax Tags and Java (p. 276)
• Using SWATO with Java (p. 279)
• Working with Ajax and Ruby on Rails (p. 281)
• Downloading text with Ajax (p. 282)
• Accessing downloaded data in code (p. 288)
• Summary (p. 294)
• Part III Ajax and the DOM, XML, CSS, and Dynamic HTML (p. 295)
• Chapter 8 The DOM and Event Handling (p. 297)
• Introducing the DOM (p. 297)
• Appending Elements Using the DOM (p. 299)
• Replacing Elements Using the DOM (p. 305)
• Creating an Ajax-Enabled Shopping Cart (p. 310)
• Creating a cross-browser mouse event object (p. 315)
• Handling mouse down events (p. 320)
• Handling mouse move events (p. 323)
• Handling mouse up events (p. 325)
• Downloading Images with Ajax (p. 328)
• Handling Ajax Timeouts (p. 333)
• Summary (p. 337)
• Chapter 9 XML and Ajax (p. 339)
• Creating XML (p. 339)
• Handling XML with JavaScript (p. 344)
• Retrieving Data from an XML Document (p. 349)
• Handling White Space in the Mozilla, Netscape, and Firefox Web Browsers (p. 359)
• Handling White Space in a Cross-Browser Way (p. 361)
• Accessing XML Data Directly (p. 365)
• Accessing XML Attribute Values (p. 371)
• Validating Your XML (p. 375)
• Summary (p. 378)
• Chapter 10 Cascading Style Sheets and Ajax (p. 379)
• Ajax-Enabled Menus (p. 379)
• Creating the styles (p. 382)
• Working with the mouse (p. 388)
• Downloading the menu items (p. 395)
• Showing a menu (p. 396)
• Handling menu item clicks (p. 398)
• Hiding a menu (p. 400)
• Getting Text Noticed in Ajax Applications (p. 401)
• Scrolling Text (p. 405)
• Styling Text Using CSS (p. 407)
• Styling Colors and Backgrounds Using CSS (p. 411)
• Styling Locations in Web Pages (p. 416)
• Summary (p. 418)
• Chapter 11 Dynamic HTML and Ajax (p. 419)
• Creating Mouseovers (p. 419)
• Using Dynamic Styles (p. 423)
• Using document.write (p. 427)
• Using Dynamic HTML Methods to Update Part of a Page (p. 434)
• Using Dynamic HTML Properties to Update Part of a Page (p. 437)
• Using Text Ranges to Update Part of a Page (p. 443)
• Using createElement to Create New Elements on the Fly (p. 447)
• Creating Dynamic Tables (p. 452)
• Catching the User's Attention with Animation (p. 457)
• Summary (p. 464)
• Part IV Advanced Ajax (p. 465)
• Chapter 12 Introducing Ajax and PHP (p. 467)
• Getting Started with PHP (p. 467)
• Sending text back to the browser (p. 469)
• Sending XML back to the browser (p. 471)
• Commenting Your PHP (p. 474)
• Working with Variables (p. 475)
• Interpolating Variables in Strings (p. 485)
• Working with Arrays (p. 487)
• Creating arrays (p. 488)
• Copying arrays (p. 491)
• Handling Your Data with Operators (p. 492)
• Making Choices with the if Statement (p. 494)
• Using else statements (p. 497)
• Using elseif statements (p. 498)
• Using Switch Statements (p. 499)
• Using loop Statements (p. 501)
• Looping with the for loop (p. 501)
• Looping with the while loop (p. 503)
• Looping with the do...while loop (p. 505)
• Looping with the foreach loop (p. 506)
• Summary (p. 508)
• Chapter 13 PHP: Functions and HTML Controls (p. 509)
• Working with Functions (p. 509)
• Passing data to functions (p. 512)
• Setting up default arguments (p. 514)
• Creating variable-length argument lists (p. 515)
• Returning values from functions (p. 518)
• Returning multiple values from a function (p. 519)
• Handling HTML Controls (p. 522)
• Working with text fields (p. 524)
• Working with checkboxes (p. 527)
• Working with radio buttons (p. 531)
• Working with list boxes (p. 533)
• Working with password controls (p. 538)
• Working with Image Maps (p. 540)
• Uploading Files (p. 544)
• Summary (p. 550)
• Chapter 14 Handling User Input in PHP (p. 551)
• Displaying All the Data in a Form (p. 552)
• Looking at Server Variables (p. 556)
• Getting User Input in Arrays (p. 560)
• Wrapping PHP Applications in a Single Page (p. 563)
• Using Hidden Controls to Check Whether a Page Has Been Seen Before (p. 567)
• Validating User Input, Numbers, and Text (p. 568)
• Validating user input (p. 568)
• Validating numbers (p. 577)
• Validating text (p. 582)
• Handling HTML Sent by the User (p. 586)
• Summary (p. 589)
• Chapter 15 Ajax and Security (p. 591)
• Protecting Against Malicious Users (p. 591)
• JavaScript insertion (p. 592)
• Looking at the Security Issues with Proxy Servers (p. 600)
• Handling Security in Ajax Applications (p. 601)
• Easy password protection (p. 601)
• Server-side user authentication (p. 605)
• Protecting Passwords Using Public and Private Keys (p. 619)
• Summary (p. 630)
• Chapter 16 Filters, MVC, and Ajax (p. 631)
• Restricting Access with Filters (p. 631)
• Logging User Access with Filters (p. 642)
• Restricting Access Based on Time of Day (p. 654)
• Model-View-Controller Applications (p. 660)
• The controller (p. 660)
• The view (p. 664)
• The model (p. 665)
• Installing the MVC Application (p. 666)
• Accessing MVC with Ajax (p. 666)
• Summary (p. 668)
• Index (p. 669)

Author notes provided by Syndetics