AJAX

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) is the combination of multiple existing web technologies, which let the client send requests and process responses in the background without a user's direct intervention. It also lets you relieve the server of some part of the application's logic processing tasks. AJAX allows you to communicate with the web server without the user explicitly making a new request in the web browser. This results in a faster response from the server, as parts of the web page can be updated separately and this improves the user experience. AJAX makes use of JavaScript to connect and retrieve information from the server without reloading the entire web page.

The following are some of the benefits of using AJAX:

• Increased speed: The goal of using AJAX is to improve the performance of the web application. By updating individual form elements, minimum processing is required on the server, thereby improving performance. The responsiveness on the client side is also drastically improved.
• User friendly: In an AJAX-based application, the user is not required to reload the entire page to refresh specific parts of the website. This makes the application more interactive and user friendly. It can also be used to perform real-time validation and autocompletion.
• Asynchronous calls: AJAX-based applications are designed to make asynchronous calls to the web server, hence the name Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. This lets the user interact with the web page while a section of it is updated behind the scenes.
• Reduced network utilization: By not performing a full-page refresh every time, network utilization is reduced. In a web application where large images, videos or dynamic content such as Java applets or Adobe Flash programs are loaded, use of AJAX can optimize network utilization.