Software As She’s Developed

The Basics of Ajax: A 3-Part Podcast Series

I’m beginning to podcast about specific Ajax patterns. To start with, a three-part series on the basics of Ajax development, covering all the Foundational Technologies patterns:

• Podcast 1: Display Patterns and the DOM.
• Podcast 2: Web Remoting - XMLHttpRequest, IFrame Call, HTTP Streaming.
• Podcast 3: Dynamic Behaviour - Events and Timing.

These will be useful if your familiar with basic forms and CGI-type web development, and wanting an overview on Ajax development techniques.

If you do know enough Ajax to at least write the obligatory Ajax chat application, there’s probably not much new info here. The most interesting pattern will be HTTP Streaming, covered in the next podcast.

Note that the pattern names and structure are subject to change, but the basic ideas will remain valid.

Podcast 1: Display Patterns and the DOM

This 42 minute podcast covers the DOM and the following patterns:

• Display Morphing: Morph display elements by altering styles and values in the DOM, such as text and colour properties.

• Page Rearrangement: Add, remove, move, and overlay elements by manipulating the DOM.

Credits and Production Notes

• The podcast concludes with the world’s first HCI Rap, “We Got It”, from the multi-talented team at OK-Cancel (the website with the funniest usability cartoons around).
• The theme, My Morning Jacket’s “One Big Holiday”, is back too.
• For the podcasters among you, the podcast was produced on a Powerbook running the excellent Audio Hijack Pro, with Bias SoundSoap and Apple’s new AUAudioFilePlayer plugin to cue audio. For the podcasters among you, this is a nice, easy, setup: allows recording directly to MP3, real-time noise reduction, ability to cue up sound clips, tag the MP, run a script at the end (which could FTP the file somewhere). In theory, you could have a podcast up a few minutes after you’ve clicked the stop button. Rogue Amoeba, creators of Audio Hijack Pro, know how to make software that’s intuitive and seriously useful. There’s detailed instructions for podcasters in the manual and also a blog entry on podcasting with Audio Hijack Pro.