What AJAX is and isn't: A quick primer
To start, if you're new to AJAX, I'll just point out that AJAX is actually not a technology or language! The acronym stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It's the technique of using JavaScript and XML to send and receive data between a web browser and a web server. The most obvious (and cool) use of this technique means you can dynamically update a piece of content on your web page with a call to the server, without forcing the entire page to reload.
The implementation of this technique has made it obvious to many web developers that they can start creating advanced web applications (sometimes called Rich Interface Applications(RIAs)) that work and feel more like desktop software applications, instead of like web pages.
As eluded to above, the word AJAX is starting to have its own meaning (as you'll also note its occasional use in this book and others, as well as all over the web as a proper noun: "Ajax", rather than an all-cap acronym). For example...
