1.1. The Web, Reloaded

Actually, we're getting rid of page reloads in this chapter...

Are your customers tired of waiting around when they place an order on your site? Are you getting complaints that every time a button is pushed, the page reloads? Then it's time to get with the program, and take your programming to the next level. Welcome to the next generation of web apps, where JavaScript, some dynamic HTML, and a little bit of XML can make your applications feel like dynamic, responsive desktop apps.

Let's take a look at the kind of applications you (and your customers) are used to:

1.1.1. The old way (think 1999)

    RequestUsers enter information into HTML forms, and click
buttons. The browser sends a request to the web server...
    Request
    Request
    Response
    Response
    ResponseThen the whole process repeats itself... again, and again...
    Web Server...and
then the web server responds to each request by sending
back a completely new HTML page, updated with new data.

Not only do you have to wait on the server, but each request/response means the entire page is redrawn. Wouldn't it be great if there was a better way?

Wow... in the time it took for all those pages to reload, someone else already put in a higher bid. So much for the Web being responsive!