Section 6.4. Summary

6.4. Summary

AJAX can create great interfaces that have much higher usability than current Web development techniques. However, using AJAX doesn't guarantee that the end result will be highly usable. Usability requires the solid presence of many different aspects of the user interface. AJAX has the ability help some aspects, but it has a tendency to hurt others. This chapter's usability guidelines can help keep you on the right track. While developing with AJAX, remember the following:

• Think about the user's expectations

• Provide feedback when performing actions

• Avoid breaking the user's focus

• Give the user the ability to undo every action

• Follow the style of a Web site or an application, not a mixture of both

• Use AJAX to improve usability, not to add new technology

• Plan for users whose browsers don't support XMLHttpRequest

AJAX can help you to produce great applications that use the latest technology and to perform tasks you didn't think were possible. However, there is more to success than implementation. An AJAX application is compared not only to other Web applications, but also to native applications. This comparison raises the bar higher, because we're moving into a more mature development space. A highly capable site with poor usability is no success; great development has usability as a major focus and offers the new features in a highly usable package.