Using Ajax for Web
Application
Development:
What Businesses
Need To Know
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Introduction
Lately, you may have been hearing more and more about Ajax and you’ve begun to wonder how it could be
beneficial to your business' web application development projects. First, it is important to start with an under-
standing of this type of web programming. While the concept is not new – it has existed since 1998 – the term
did not come into being until February 2005, when Jesse James Garrett coined it as a way to shorten the com-
bination of three technologies that he was going to be using for web application development: Asynchronous
JavaScript and XML.
This recent phrasing may partially explain why Ajax programming has become such a hot
concept for businesses to explore.
Today
, Ajax is being used in web application development by many major players on the web, including
Google, which pioneered its use in a mainstream manner with its Google Maps service, as well as many web-
based email systems
. This is as a direct result of the updating of computer technology in general – today's
average computer user has a faster network connection, a faster machine, and a higher level of computer
knowledge than those used by computers ten years ago. This has opened the door for more complex technolo-
gies to be used by a wider array of websites. On the other hand, web programming using Ajax is not necessary
for a site to be successful; sites such as Amazon and eBay, which are clearly doing well in the business arena,
are either not using this form of web programming at all or are using it sparingly.
Still, web programming with
Ajax has quickly been incorporated into web application development as a new
style.

own site as well. Customers may also be asking for the new services if they have seen them on other competi-
tor sites.
Caveats for Businesses Considering Ajax Programming
However, there are many things to be careful of when implementing web programming with Ajax as well.
While it does seem lik
e the latest thing, a business should not go overboard in its use during web application
development. Primarily, this type of web programming can make a site more difficult for visitors to use. The
web is at its core a very user-friendly system, but Ajax can introduce new behaviors that people may not be
ready for or may find confusing. This can cause visitors to leave your site quickly
, without actually performing
the tasks, making the purchases, or reading the information that you had provided. Ajax programing can also
create a host of other problems with which businesses should be concerned.
First, and rather simply, using Ajax web programming can cause the back button to behave differently than a
visitor might expect. The bookmark function may also not work as it does on more traditionally programmed
sites. There are ways around these issues that can be implemented during web application development, but
the fixes require a bit of extra time and skill when adding in the additional code.
Ajax programming can also interfere with search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Search engines will not see
content that may be hidden until revealed by a user's actions. If a business wants to combine Ajax with SEO,
its web application development team will have to be careful to mak
e sure that any optimized content is
alw
ays immediately visible, and that hidden content is not critical to the success of an SEO campaign.
Importantly
, Ajax can open up a webserver to an increased attack surface. This form of web programming
unfortunately gives a hacker more ways to get into the server than there were before. The solution to this is to
mak
e sure that the web application development team is more vigilant about security and testing,
and to con
-
stantly keep watch on the activity occurring on the site. In addition, since different browsers read Ajax differently,

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