This intensive, 4-day Core Ajax training course teaches a scalable way of writing robust, user-friendly and secure Ajax solutions for the Enterprise.
We will start by introducing Ajax from a business, design and coding perspective. We will then look at Ajax and The Network, consider HTTP traffic Patterns, object serialisation across HTTP and management and measurement of HTTP traffic. You will also learn about reverse Ajax and Enterprise Comet.
You'll then be introduced to the impact of Ajax on the User Interface, Prototype and some important Data Validation Patterns. You will also learn how to use event-driven code and callback functions and Scriptaculous.
Then, we will discuss Ajax within the context of your Enterprise Architecture. You will learn how Ajax works with SOAP and REST web services and how to use Mash-Ups to interact directly with third-party web services.
Finally, you will learn how to look after your code, with Unit Testing and Functional testing using jsUnit, TestMaker and Selenium.

AJAX BASICS

Getting started with Ajax

• Ajax from a business, design and coding perspective
• Good coding practices
• Scaling your code.

Ajax in the bigger picture

• Low-level 'plumbing'
  • the HTTP protocol
  • XHR object

Refactoring the XHR object

• Refactoring in Javascript
• Writing JavaScript objects
• Creating usable Wrapper Objects with the XHR object

Dialects of Ajax

• Server Responses
  • HTML Content
  • Generated script
  • Structured data (XML and JSON)
• Pro’s and Con’s

Ajax libraries

• Prototype,
• jQuery
• YUI,
• Leveraging the power of the JavaScript language

DAY 2: THE NETWORK

HTTP Traffic Patterns

• A single HTTP request and response
• HTTP traffic patterns across the lifecycle of an entire application.

Data round-tripping

• Object Serialisation Patterns across the HTTP interface
• JSON
• XML

Managing HTTP from the Client-side

• HTTP transport Strategies
• Prototype's X-JSON headers and Responders (principles and approach)
• Rico's Ajax.Engine (principles and approach)

Measuring HTTP traffic

• Creating visual HTTP traffic Reports
• Tools: Firebug, Fiddler, LiveHTTPHeaders

Comet & Reverse Ajax

• When to use Comet/Reverse
• Other Reverse Ajax approaches

DAY 3: USER INTERFACES

UI Libraries

• Good JavaScript Coding and Encapsulation Techniques
• Implications of the User Interface

Prototype & the DOM

• Prototype's support for
  • The DOM
  • HTML forms
• Data Validation Patterns for Ajax

Scriptaculous

• Scriptaculous
  • visual effects
  • drag and drop
• Event-driven code
• Callback functions

Ajax UIs for Navigation and Data Manipulation

• Web and desktop UI metaphors
  • Differences
  • Fusion
• Data categorisation vs classification schemes

DAY 4: AJAX WITHIN THE ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE

Ajax in your Enterprise Architecture

• Server
• Business

Ajax & Web Services

• SOAP Web Services
• REST Web Services
• How does Ajax work with SOAP and REST

Server-side architecture

• Ajax toolkits and the patterns that they adopt.
• Ajax Toolkit Overview:
  • Sajax
  • DWR
  • Backbase
  • JSF
  • GWT
• Mash-ups and how to interact directly with third-party web services from the client in a "Web 2.0" style.

Looking after your code

• Unit testing in Ajax
• Functional Testing in Ajax
  • jsUnit
  • TestMaker
  • Selenium
• Profiling JavaScript code for execution speed and memory footprint.