In my previous article, "Enterprise Mashup Services: Real-World SOA or Web
2.0 Novelties?" (JDJ Vol. 11, Issue 12), I discussed how a Java-to-AJAX
library such as Direct Web Remoting (DWR) can bridge the gap between mashup
services implemented with JavaScript and business services written in Java,
allowing developers to blend corporate services with external services such
as Google Maps. The problem with this approach is that it relies on AJAX as
an integration point, which entails a fragile development platform as well as
the need to maintain browser-specific code due to idiosyncrasies in browser
support for JavaScript - the primary technology behind AJAX. In addition,
JavaScript lacks a standardized approach for componentizing code, making
applications written in it d... (more)
AJAX has forever altered user expectations regarding the experience delivered
by the Web. In today’s world, users sit at the edge of their seat waiting
to see what scrumptious eye candy AJAX will serve them next. Some of the more
notable visual effects and desktop-like interactions include Prototype-esque
fades, Dojo style fisheyes, the near ubiquitous drag-and-drop, and, of
course, w... (more)
AJAX, with its asynchronous updates, enabled a richer user experience on the
Web. It accomplished this primarily by obscuring the latency issues that
brought a "clunk-ish" feel to traditional Web applications. More recently,
Comet reintroduced HTTP-based "push" communications to enable Web
applications with real-time events through a medium, namely JavaScript and a
variety of transports ... (more)
A fast-moving Comet is about to impact the Internet. When it hits, it will
wipe away the architecture flaws we have lived with for the past 15 years and
allow a new World Wide Web to evolve.
This new Web will include applications that are instantly on and always on,
applications that are truly multi-user, and applications that go far beyond
today’s “click and wait” Web solutions.
Brace f... (more)
Since Web 2.0 kicked off scarcely a day goes by without a headline targeting
mashups and their enablers, AJAX and Web Services, as the next hot Web
technologies. Mashups are Web sites that integrate a variety of services
(e.g., news feeds, weather reports, maps, and traffic conditions) in new and
interesting ways. Just take a look at Zillow.com, which provides instant home
valuations plo... (more)