Chapter 2. Ajax Basics

The driving force behind Ajax is the interaction between the client (web browser) and the server. Previously, the understanding of this communication was limited to those who developed purely on the server-side using languages such as Perl and C. Newer technologies such as ASP.NET, PHP, and JSP encouraged more of a mix of client- and server-side techniques for software engineers interested in creating web applications, but they often lacked a full understanding of all client-side technologies (such as JavaScript). Now the pendulum has swung in the other direction, and client-side developers need to understand more about server-side technology in order to create Ajax solutions.