Ajax Construction Kit: Building Plug-and-Play Ajax Applications (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: partly cloudy, information popup window, example code folder, Ajax Toolkit, Ajax Construction Kit, News Feeder (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Supercharge Your Sites with Ajax Right Now...No Scripting Expertise Needed!

You’ve heard how great Ajax is--how it can help make your Web sites more usable, more interactive, more responsive, more successful. Ajax Construction Kit lets you put Ajax to work right now, even if you’ve never written a script! Just learn a few essentials, check out a few examples, then run the live CD and discover all the plug-and-play code you need to hit the ground running. Ajax Construction Kit’s built-in applications work right out of the box. And with easy guidance from Michael Morrison, you’ll gradually deepen your understanding--learn how to customize, extend, and reuse these applications---and even build skills for creating new ones. Walk away an expert.

 

Use Ajax Construction Kit’s ten complete applications to

• Dynamically load Web data
• Dynamically populate lists
• Tap into RSS news feeds
• Use AutoComplete to reduce input errors
• Create more responsive GUIs with real-time validation
• Build a killer interface for viewing images
• Present information or advertising with slick pop-ups
• Provide an up-to-the-minute weather forecast
• Build an e-commerce product shipping calculator
• Add ratings tools to your site

And more...

 

CD-ROM Includes

• Your complete Ajax projects: Run the Ajax projects (HTML, JavaScript, and PHP source code) that are included on the CD from your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system.
• Your complete Ajax environment: Boot the CD as an Ubuntu Linux live CD to immediately begin working with the Ajax projects (no setup required).
• Ready-to-run tools on the CD include the XAMPP Web server, Firefox Web browser, and Bluefish HTML editor.

System Requirements:

• Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac (OS X or higher)
• Processor: Intel-based processor (Pentium or higher)
• Memory: 128 MB RAM or more
• Disk space: None required; USB thumb drive optional to store data
• Optical drive: CD reader

Negus Live Linux Series

Your Practical, Hands-On Guides to Getting Real Results with Free Software

Add the free software and examples from the book’s CD to your Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system to follow along with the projects described in the book. Or boot the CD directly to use a complete, prepackaged set of free software tools to play, display, and modify those projects. Start as a novice, by trying out examples...and finish with professional Ajax-enabled Web content!

 

SERIES EDITOR CHRISTOPHER NEGUS is the bestselling author of the Red Hat Linux Bible series, Linux Toys series, and this series’ flagship title, Linux Live CDs.

 

About the Author

Michael Morrison is a writer, developer, toy inventor, and author of a variety of books covering topics such as Java, Web scripting, game development, and mobile devices. Some of Michael’s notable writing projects include JavaScript Bible, 6^th Edition (Wiley, 2006), Teach Yourself HTML and CSS in 24 Hours, 7th Edition (Sams Publishing, 2005), Beginning Mobile Phone Game Programming (Sams Publishing, 2004), and Java Unleashed (Sams Publishing, 1997). Michael is the instructor of several Web-based courses, including DigitalThink’s Introduction to Java 2 series, JavaBeans for Programmers series, and Win32 Programming series (www.digitalthink.com). In addition to his primary profession as a writer and technical consultant, Michael is the founder of Stalefish Labs (www.stalefishlabs.com), an entertainment company specializing in games, toys, and interactive media. When not glued to his computer, skateboarding, playing hockey, or watching movies with his wife, Masheed, Michael enjoys hanging out by his koi pond.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR (July 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0132350084
• ISBN-13: 978-0132350082
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #737,267 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #24 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Networking > Networks, Protocols & APIs > ISDN
  #40 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Telecommunications > Digital
  #91 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > Ajax

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I liked his approach, August 3, 2007

By	Anthony Lawrence "Unix, Linux and Mac OS X" (Middleboro, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't think I've seen another "learning Ajax" book where the author dared assume you know next to nothing about Javascript or PHP, but that's exactly what this author does, and he makes it work beautifully.

He has a hands-on approach, doesn't bother with explaining things you don't need to know, and jumps right in to the important stuff: here's something that works, here's the code, and if you look right *here*, that's where you could start tinkering to make it something you could use.. a very refreshing approach.

I like his style, I like the book. Good job. Comes with a LiveCD so you can play with everything presented.

3.0 out of 5 stars Very, very beginner... and that's ok!, June 20, 2009

By	Katrina Owen (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is aimed at people who make web pages for fun, and have little to no (java)scripting experience. If you haven't the faintest idea what Ajax is and does (I didn't when I picked this book up), you may emerge with understanding and excitement. This book will help the uninitiated realize just how many slick tricks can be accomplished with Ajax.

The Ajax Construction Kit promises to hand you working Ajax goodies. It delivers on this promise! It also provides you with a good understanding of how to tweak and nudge the applications provided, so that you can incorporate them into your own websites. If you wish to transform the goodies to any significant degree, or learn how to build your own Ajax applications you will need to find a different set of resources. This book does not set out to teach you how to program.

The book comes with a CD which has the source code for all the goodies in the book - AND a working webserver for your convenience in the form of a Live CD. If you would rather work in your own, familiar, environment rather than Ubuntu Linux, it also provides both the code and a server which you can install locally on a Windows, Mac, or Linux variant.

The author does apologize a lot when things get technical. Come on! We love this stuff, and it is presented well, so it isn't the least bit scary.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Value for your money, April 24, 2009

By	Shree - See all my reviews

I got my book in about 8 days from the day I ordered. It arrived in good condition (new!!). Seller emailed me with tracking number, when I was little concerned about arrival date. Good stuff for the price. Highly recommend to anyone. Cheers!