One use of AJAX that everyone probably uses everyday is the search bar on Googles homepage. As the picture below shows once you start typing in the search bar, Ajax provides for the a box to drop down and provide you with search suggestions based on what you type. This nifty tool has helped me out several times when trying to provide a good search string for the topic I am searching out.
Another use of AJAX is in the form of an API (application programming interface) that you can embed into your own website. I found a cool video on Youtube that shows the use of an API embedded into a webpage. The search block API which is shown in the video was developed by google and provides a way for google search to provide results of the search in a box located on the webpage without actually refreshing the whole webpage. To test out the AJAX search block for yourself you can visit the http://playpen.moodle.com.au/moodle/course/view.php?id=11 and start typing in the google search located in the bottom right hand corner.
I'm glad that you did a blog on AJAX. To be honest with you, I have not had a lot of experience with AJAX so I did not know exactly what I was getting into with this class. The new Google search block looks like it will be very useful.
ReplyDeleteThe search block does look like it will come in handy, not only can you use it to search the web but you can implement it to search your just website as well.
ReplyDeleteJoshua,
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing us to the uses of AJAX. Unfortunately I've never heard of it until this class so I found your post especially helpful. I always wondered what was used to create the search suggestions when entering text in a search bar. It will be fun working with it this semester.