Google made a star of AJAX through its various applications. The swift, simple utility of Google Maps caught everyone’s attention, pushing them to explore its possibilities through the API. Enterprises also saw the value in it, not only making use of Google’s offerings, but set their teams on task for their own purposes.
But you can’t just go at it willy-nilly. Though it may be relatively simple to inject AJAX into existing Web applications, it’s important to consider the scope of things – the nuts and bolts, the impact, the cooperation required, server loads, et cetera.
As this article from PCWelt illustrates, updating Web apps to include AJAX functionality is a team effort that demands proper integration of various elements, from development, security, database, server, network, and desktop angles.
The breadth of Google applications makes seamless AJAX programming seem easy. Don’t be fooled. Google employs the best in the industry dedicating their star-coder talents to developing those killer apps.
On a smaller scale, how many enterprises can hire at that level and allocate the time for their developers to focus on one aspect of Web design? How many are sitting on $10 billion in cash?
More realistic is to assume that your talented young developer has little or no exposure to AJAX programming, but will pick it up as he/she goes along, inserting so-so code into applications that are still quite Web 1.0.
So what does that mean to you? Let’s delineate:
1. Get the band back together. Employing AJAX apps is a team effort that requires the “cross-mojonation,” if you will, of developers, IT, and well, anybody else with some sort of stake in the matter.
2. Test, test, and test again. A bunch of open TCP connections could turn your server into a cement mixer.
3. On the end-user side, AJAX is great for the more computer illiterate and the “I like my desktop better” crowd. It’s easy and efficient.
4. Depending on existing applications, implementing AJAX could be simple or very complex. Get a hold of someone who knows what they’re doing.
5. A good enterprise level AJAX application can save money and time in the long run as server-based applications do not have to be distributed for installation onto the desktop.
6. Be selective about XML updates. Sending continuous, multiple, simultaneous updates can slow down the process.
7. If well implemented AJAX provides a way to update a page incrementally without pulling it offline.
8. Don’t expect it to be Google-level.