Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This is the first book to show how PHP and Javascript technologies can work together to create next generation applications. Covering many of the most commonplace topics developers encounter in daily web application development tasks, The author guides readers through topics like enhanced forms validation, data display and manipulation, JavaScript debugging, and security considerations. The result is a book that not only discusses how two of the world's most talked about technologies can come together to create amazing applications, but is also based upon a real-world context, enabling developers to immediately begin applying what they've learned to their own situation.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• About the Author (p. ix)
• About the Technical Reviewer (p. xi)
• Acknowledgments (p. xiii)
• Introduction (p. xv)
• Chapter 1 Introducing Ajax (p. 1)
• From CGI to Flash to DHTML (p. 2)
• Pros and Cons of Today's Web Application Environment (p. 3)
• Enter Ajax (p. 4)
• Ajax Requirements (p. 8)
• Summary (p. 9)
• Chapter 2 Ajax Basics (p. 11)
• HTTP Request and Response Fundamentals (p. 11)
• The XMLHttpRequest Object (p. 13)
• XMLHttpRequest Methods (p. 13)
• XMLHttpRequest Properties (p. 15)
• Cross-Browser Usage (p. 17)
• Sending a Request to the Server (p. 19)
• Basic Ajax Example (p. 20)
• Summary (p. 24)
• Chapter 3 PHP and Ajax (p. 25)
• Why PHP and Ajax? (p. 25)
• Client-Driven Communication, Server-Side Processing (p. 26)
• Basic Examples (p. 26)
• Expanding and Contracting Content (p. 26)
• Auto-Complete (p. 32)
• Form Validation (p. 41)
• Tool Tips (p. 44)
• Summary (p. 47)
• Chapter 4 Database-Driven Ajax (p. 49)
• Introduction to MySQL (p. 50)
• Connecting to MySQL (p. 51)
• Querying a MySQL Database (p. 52)
• MySQL Tips and Precautions (p. 57)
• Putting Ajax-Based Database Querying to Work (p. 58)
• Auto-Completing Properly (p. 60)
• Loading the Calendar (p. 63)
• Summary (p. 65)
• Chapter 5 Forms (p. 67)
• Bringing in the Ajax: GET vs. POST (p. 68)
• Passing Values (p. 69)
• Form Validation (p. 80)
• Summary (p. 86)
• Chapter 6 Images (p. 87)
• Uploading Images (p. 87)
• Displaying Images (p. 91)
• Loading Images (p. 94)
• Dynamic Thumbnail Generation (p. 95)
• Summary (p. 99)
• Chapter 7 A Real-World Ajax Application (p. 101)
• The Code (p. 102)
• How It Looks (p. 111)
• How It Works (p. 113)
• Summary (p. 122)
• Chapter 8 Ergonomic Display (p. 123)
• When to Use Ajax (p. 124)
• Back Button Issues (p. 125)
• Ajax Navigation (p. 125)
• Hiding and Showing (p. 127)
• Introduction to PEAR (p. 128)
• HTML_Table (p. 129)
• Summary (p. 134)
• Chapter 9 Web Services (p. 135)
• Introduction to SOAP Web Services (p. 136)
• Bring in the Ajax (p. 137)
• Let's Code (p. 137)
• How the SOAP Application Works (p. 142)
• Summary (p. 147)
• Chapter 10 Spatially Enabled Web Applications (p. 149)
• Why Is Google Maps so Popular? (p. 149)
• Where to Start (p. 151)
• How Our Mapping System Works (p. 163)
• Summary (p. 174)
• Chapter 11 Cross-Browser Issues (p. 175)
• Ajax Portability (p. 175)
• Saving the Back Button (p. 177)
• Ajax Response Concerns (p. 180)
• Degrading JavaScript Gracefully (p. 183)
• The noscript Element (p. 184)
• Browser Upgrades (p. 185)
• Summary (p. 185)
• Chapter 12 Security (p. 187)
• Increased Attack Surface (p. 187)
• Strategy 1 Keep Related Entry Points Within the Same Script (p. 188)
• Strategy 2 Use Standard Functions to Process and Use User Input (p. 188)
• Cross-Site Scripting (p. 189)
• Strategy 1 Remove Unwanted Tags from Input Data (p. 191)
• Strategy 2 Escape Tags When Outputting Client-Submitted Data (p. 192)
• Strategy 3 Protect Your Sessions (p. 192)
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (p. 193)
• Confirming Important Actions Using a One-Time Token (p. 193)
• Confirming Important Actions Using the User's Password (p. 195)
• GET vs. POST (p. 195)
• Accidental CSRF Attacks (p. 195)
• Denial of Service (p. 196)
• Strategy 1 Use Delays to Throttle Requests (p. 197)
• Strategy 2 Optimize Ajax Response Data (p. 198)
• Protecting Intellectual Property and Business Logic (p. 200)
• Strategy 1 JavaScript Obfuscation (p. 200)
• Strategy 2 Real-Time Server-Side Processing (p. 201)
• Summary (p. 204)
• Chapter 13 Testing and Debugging (p. 205)
• JavaScript Error Reporting (p. 205)
• Firefox Extensions (p. 208)
• Web Developer Toolbar (p. 208)
• The DOM Inspector (p. 208)
• LiveHTTPHeaders (p. 209)
• Venkman JavaScript Debugger (p. 211)
• HTML Validation (p. 212)
• Internet Explorer Extensions (p. 213)
• Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar (p. 214)
• Fiddler (p. 215)
• Summary (p. 216)
• Chapter 14 The DOM (p. 217)
• Accessing DOM Elements (p. 217)
• document.getElementByld (p. 217)
• getElementsByTagName (p. 218)
• Accessing Elements Within a Form (p. 219)
• Adding and Removing DOM Elements (p. 219)
• Manipulating DOM Elements (p. 221)
• Manipulating XML Using the DOM (p. 222)
• Combining Ajax and XML with the DOM (p. 223)
• How the Ajax Location Manager Works (p. 228)
• Summary (p. 233)
• Index (p. 235)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Lee Babin is a programmer based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he serves as the chief programmer for an innovative development firm duly named The Code Shoppe. He has been developing complex web driven applications since his graduation from DeVry University in early 2002 and has since worked on over 50 custom websites and online applications. Lee is married to a beautiful woman by the name of Dianne, who supports him in his rather full yet rewarding work schedule. He enjoys video games, working out, martial arts, and traveling, and can usually be found working online on one of his many fun web projects at any given time. While Lee has experience in a multitude of web programming languages, his preference has always been PHP. With the release of PHP 5, many of his wishes have been fulfilled.