Is AJAX a separate language from Javascript, or is

Question

Basically, is AJAX similar to JavaScript in syntax and semantics?

Answer 1

Neither. It refers to the task of making (using JavaScript) an HTTP request (and handling the response to it) without the user leaving the current page (e.g. by following a link or submitting a form).

There are several ways to do this (XMLHttpRequest, generating <script> elements, using a hidden iframe, etc) and many libraries (YUI, Mootools, Prototype, jQuery, Glow, etc) that implement helper methods to make it easier.

So it isn't a language, an API, a library or a framework. It is just a thing that can be done (in various different ways).

(It has also been used as a term to replace "DHTML", but its usage for such as since been replaced by "HTML 5" — marketeers need a new buzzword to describe "Doing any kind of fancy stuff on the web" every few years)

Answer 2

Actually, "AJAX" is short for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It is merely an asynchronous method of downloading data using Javascript.

Answer 3

AJAX isn't a language. It's a methodology, using JavaScript and XML (and I guess JSON fits in there as well), for a web client to asynchronously communicate with a server resource without requiring user-enacted browser events (such as page navigation).

Answer 4

AJAX stands for Asynchronus Javascript and XML: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_%28programming%29

Ajax is a javascript methodology to get data from a server in real time. It's syntax (particularly when used in things like jQuery) is just javascript... Today you can simply use one function to make an ajax call (using jQuery):

$.ajax({ url: "test.html",  success: function(){/*do stuff here*/}});

Old school ajax (as mentioned below, late 90's early 00's) looks more like this: http://www.w3schools.com/ajax/tryit.asp?filename=tryajax_first

function loadXMLDoc()
{
if (window.XMLHttpRequest)
  {// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
  xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
  }
else
  {// code for IE6, IE5
  xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
  }
xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function()
  {
  if (xmlhttp.readyState==4 && xmlhttp.status==200)
    {
    document.getElementById("myDiv").innerHTML=xmlhttp.responseText;
    }
  }
xmlhttp.open("GET","ajax_info.txt",true);
xmlhttp.send();
}