The brief reply is, “Yes, there are a number of alternatives to Ajax for building Rich Internet Applications (RIAs).” These embody Flash, Flex, Java, SVG and Ruby on Rails, in addition to a number of different area of interest gamers.
Now for the main points, which make up a considerably longer reply.
Flash and Flex, fellows
Adobe’s Flash, initially created by Macromedia, has shortly turn out to be an RIA device of selection. Initially put in as a plug-in, its Player utility began transport with Windows XP some ten years in the past now. Flash delivers a number of the finest RIA experiences, in addition to multimedia.
On the draw back, there’s a longer studying curve with Flash. There can also be a nagging, doubtlessly problematic safety concern. The Flash Player writes recordsdata to your pc in a reasonably secretive approach, and there’s no method to change the settings with out utilizing a “Settings Manager” situated at Adobe’s Web web site. Finally, Flash takes over your digital camera and microphone.
Flash brings a very completely different perspective to constructing wealthy purchasers, however Adobe did not put all its eggs in that basket. The firm additionally launched a set of instruments identified collectively as Flex that gives knowledge integration inside a framework utilizing built-in growth instruments. Taking care of the “XMLHttpRequest,” Flex gives straightforward integration with REST, SOAP or basic HTTP providers. Flash is extra of a straight-up different to Ajax, whereas some would characterize Flex as one thing like an “Ajax toolkit.”
Java’s nonetheless smokin’
Sun Microsystems’ Java is an Ajax different that has been across the block a number of instances, and its “applets” constituted among the many first wealthy consumer instruments for browsers. Java applets permit builders to make use of an honest-to-goodness, object-oriented programming language, whereas Java code runs within the JVM digital machine with a “sandbox” for reminiscence. Because of JVM, Java code runs on all platforms, dwelling as much as its slogan, “Write once, run anywhere.”
Applets can entry solely the reminiscence allotted for its sandbox, which is a crucial safety characteristic. Still, there are some issues with Java, the primary of which is that it does require a plug-in that must be manually put in for some browsers. JVM have to be working for Applets to start out up, and JVM could also be sluggish to load at instances. The applet must be downloaded if it isn’t cached, which takes much more time, and this can be probably the most significant issue of all, since Web customers sometimes count on ever larger, quicker, higher efficiency.
A cellular acronym?
SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics, a W3C language that makes use of XML to outline 2D graphics and graphical functions. Its present model is 1.1, supported natively within the Opera browser (8+). Some Gecko-based browsers similar to Firefox provide restricted help, and though Konquerer, Internet Explorer and Safari browsers have plug-ins out there for SVG, Microsoft’s IE has no dedication to it. The others do.
For PDAs (together with PocketPC) and mobile telephones there are, respectively, SVG Basic and Lite editions. The truth is that SVG will in all probability expertise some adoption within the cellular class earlier than it earns common help amongst browsers. The lack of a dedication from Internet Explorer seems to be limiting the adoption of SVG.
Ruby, will not you be mine?
Ruby on Rails is a considerably younger know-how, a free object-oriented language that has gotten a number of press in the previous few years. It is a “full stack framework” for creating database-driven Web apps following the Model View Controller (MVC) design technique.
Ruby emphasizes growth simplicity, strengthened with two near-famous and oft-repeated slogans. The first -“Don’t Repeat Yourself,” or DRY – is supposed to get rid of wasteful duplication, of information or code. “Convention Over Configuration” instructs customers to eschew configuration until you have got an “unconventional” scenario.
Ajax help is innately, intrinsically out there and easy to make use of in Ruby. You get instantaneous performance as quickly as you put in it. There are drawbacks, after all, particularly in case your agency has a well-entrenched system, steady growth surroundings, strong platform and a ton of legacy code. It will not be sensible to modify to Ruby – and she or he continues to be a teenager, in any case.
Other candidates
XUL (XML User Interface Language, pronounced “zool”) was developed by Mozilla to construct feature-rich apps that even run after they’re disconnected from the Web. As it gives a typical set of customizable person interface elements, and makes use of JavaScript, XML and DTD, it must be a reasonably easy job for builders working with DHTML to be taught it. One main disadvantage is that it wants a XUL-enabled Web browser, and meaning Mozilla-based ones for now.
XAML (“zammel”) is eXtensible Application Markup Language, and paired with Windows Presentation Foundation makes up the center of Microsoft’s utility growth technique. Microsoft is aiming for XAML and WPF to switch HTML, Flash and PDF, a tall order, certainly. XAML will ship 2D and 3D imaging, video, animation, audio and so forth, and is meant to erase the road between Web and desktop functions. As an MS know-how, it can definitely be used broadly, however it isn’t prone to make many waves in non-Windows environments.
Bottom line
If you might be hoping so as to add Ajax features to an present web site, that could be a good place to start out, however in case you are planning the development of a brand new web site, and wish to use Ajax from the gate, take one other have a look at Ruby on Rails. However, your final determination on the instruments to make use of will rely completely on what you have been doing, what you have been doing it with and the way prepared you might be so as to add one other device to the toolkit. If Ajax is the device you want, then use it. If another works, use that. If you are not certain what’s finest, use each till you discover out.
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