[FX.php List] Ajax/LAJAX's JavaScript requirements

[Dale Bengston]

Joel,

My sites are all closed-loop corporate solutions, so lack of  
JavaScript support is not something I have to deal with.

I don't know what the differences are between LAJAX and what's more  
commonly referred to as AJAX. Basically, I'm using XMLHttpRequest to  
harvest data from user input and submit it to a PHP page, which uses  
FX to act on FileMaker and return some data to the same page without  
reloading the page in the browser. A lot of my sites allow users to  
customize a printed piece, review proofs on the screen, and then  
create final art that then goes directly into a print shop's workflow.

You can see a simple, raw prototype of my approach (written about two  
years ago) on my web site:
	<http://www.streamline-studio.com/studio.php?cat=demos&loc=stationery>

I would not use AJAX to post my accounts payable or to retrieve or  
manipulate a list of thousands of records, but for collecting user  
input and acting on it, I can see no real limitation in functionality  
here. In fact, it opens up the possibilities, like allowing basic  
manipulation of a list of records all at once, which is not really  
possible with a form-submit-reload-page scenario. (Well it is, but  
it's pretty nasty.)

When I first tried it, I wanted to do everything in AJAX. Then I  
rolled back and almost walked away from the technique altogether. Now  
I do the stuff that makes sense in AJAX and save the rest for  
traditional form posts.

Dale

On Oct 18, 2006, at 4:56 PM, Joel Shapiro wrote:

> Thanks Andy and Dale for your responses.
>
> (Andy, I knew you were using it quite a bit on FMPug -- I think it  
> was the first place I saw it in action ;)
>
> Are either of you dealing with users having disabled JavaScript?
> On FMPug, nothing happens on those pages when JS is disabled.  I'd  
> imagine some sites are more likely to attract users with current  
> browsers (like FMPug), but I wonder about sites that are likely to  
> draw people that may have older computers?
>
> In general, I suppose as long as security issues aren't dependent  
> upon JavaScript, the biggest problem would just be limited  
> functionality.
>
> Out of curiosity, are you both using LAJAX or some other version of  
> AJAX?
>
> Thanks,
> -Joel
>
>
> On Oct 18, 2006, at 2:42 PM, Dale Bengston wrote:
>
>> I am using AJAX extensively in production; it is a major component  
>> of my development at this time. AJAX is a great tool. There are  
>> some things I will never go back to doing with form submits. And  
>> it's wicked fast - even with FM6.
>>
>> Dale
>
> On Oct 18, 2006, at 2:28 PM, Andy Gaunt wrote:
>
>> Hi Joel,
>>
>> We are using it on FMPug and also on a couple of client sites.
>>
>> On FMPug we are using it in the News Area, the Feature Requests, The
>> Pawfolio's and Business Directory that are public facing.
>>
>> We also use it for chapter admins for the creation of meetings etc.
>>
>> Oh, and also for all non FMPug coordinators they have an AJAX  
>> interface to
>> update their details on both FMPug and also the FileMaker.com user  
>> group
>> listings (all housed in our FileMaker database)
>>
>> It makes for a very clean user interface and enhances the use of  
>> the sites.
>>
>> Andy Gaunt
>> Office: 321.206.3658
>> Mobile: 407.810.4722
>> andy at fmpug.com
>> http://www.fmpug.com
>>
>> On Oct 18, 2006, at 4:19 PM, Joel Shapiro wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all
>>>
>>> I've just been playing w/ LAJAX and it's very cool, but I'm  
>>> wondering how practical it is to use in a real site because of  
>>> its JavaScript requirements (this would be for anything using  
>>> Ajax).  I doubt many people these days disable JavaScript on  
>>> their browser, but because it's a possibility, it seems you'd  
>>> need to test for it first and then provide other options for when  
>>> JS is disabled (or provide instructions for the user to enable  
>>> it).  Also, I notice that LAJAX requires JavaScript 1.2, but that  
>>> seems likely a non-issue since that came out in 1997 (or is it?).
>>>
>>> How are people dealing with this?  Anyone using it in production?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> -Joel
>>>
>>>
>>> Joel Shapiro - FileMaker Pro Database Design
>>> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
>>> joelshapiro at jsfmp dot com
>>> http://www.jsfmp.com
>>> 415-269-5055
>>>
>>>
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