Section 4.10. Summary

4.10. Summary

Adding AJAX to an application isn't a magical cure-all. It's a great solution when you need to increase interactivity, but it's not without cost. For many developers, these costs will be higher than just the time it takes to do the basic implementation; AJAX development adds a number of new, higher-level challenges. These challenges include dealing with application logic divided into two parts: managing cross-browser compatibility and using JavaScript as a primary development language. The best way to mitigate these new problems is to keep AJAX's additional complexity as low as possible: Use well-tested libraries whenever possible, test your own code in its component parts whenever possible, and use AJAX only when you have an actual goal, not just when you want to add the newest technology. Keeping these items in mind won't prevent the inevitable changes, but it will keep them from becoming problems.

The easiest way to quickly integrate AJAX into your development is to bring in a library to do the heavy lifting for you. Of course, this brings in a new set of problems because you need to pick a library that meets your needs. Mature libraries are available from multiple sources, including many open source groups, commercial library developers, and large tool builders such as Microsoft. These libraries offer you the ability to immediately take advantage of AJAX instead of starting at the ground floor. They also offer myriad associated features, such as drag-and-drop support, animations, and visual effects, which are time-consuming to build when supporting multiple browsers is required. Remember that even a well-designed AJAX library can cause problems if it doesn't fit your needs and development style; spending extra time in the selection process will pay off down the road when you skip the painful processes of rewriting all your code to work with something else.