Sebastopol, CA--Java developers looking to make their Java web applications more responsive and dynamic will find the answer in Steven Douglas Olson new book, Ajax on Java (O'Reilly, US $29.99). Olson, a veteran software developer, shows Java users how to incorporate Ajaxian features, including suggestion lists, drag-and-drop, and more into their work. The result? Browser-based applications with a rich-client feel: the best of all worlds.
Olson's book introduces developers to Ajax by illustrating how to create Ajax applications in a server-side Java environment: how to add Ajax features to servlet-based applications, JSPs, JSF applications, and so on. "There has been an explosion of different frameworks and libraries that make Ajax easier to use," explains Olson. "Ajax on Java addresses many of the new Ajax frameworks and libraries such as Prototype, DWR, script.aculo.us, AjaxTags, Google Web Toolkit, Rico, and Dojo, among others."
The book also presents several strategies for communicating between the client and the server, including sending raw data and using XML or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) for sending more complex collections of data. Olson then branches out into different approaches for incorporating Ajax. These approaches include:
- Using Ajax to build entry forms and suggestion fields
- Creating an Ajax tag library and third-party tag libraries
- Integrating Ajax into Java ServerPages (JSP) applications
- Using Ajax with Struts
- Integrating Ajax into Java ServerFaces (JSF) applications
- Using Google's GWT, which offers a pure Java approach to developing web applications: your client-side components are written in Java and compiled into HTML and JavaScript
Ajax on Java was written for progressive Java developers of all levels, especially those creating web applications. Olson uses the word "progressive" because with the information provided in the book, developers will be able to take their web programming to the next level of usability for their customers.
"Let's strive to make our web applications more interactive, less boring, and more efficient by avoiding redundant data entry and long wait times between page loads," Olson encourages his peers. "In short, let's create a user experience closer to that of a real desktop application. Those are some of the promises of Ajax technology."
Steven Douglas Olson has been a software developer for twenty years, starting with Fortran, Pascal, Basic, and later, C at a company called Signetics. While at Novell, he began dabbling in Java, and in 1995, he was among the first to join Novell's Java development group. He's since consulted or worked directly for eight other companies, writing primarily in Java. He currently works as a consultant in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Background and Market Information: http://del.icio.us/oreillymedia/ajaxonjavaAdditional Resources:
More information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bio, and cover graphicAjax on Java
Steven Douglas Olson
ISBN: 0-596-10187-2, 211 pages, Print: $29.99 US, $38.99 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.