But I'll do a quick refresher just in case.
First, there's the acronym-it stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. Then there is its purpose: a true breakthrough, AJAX makes possible solutions that would be otherwise impossible or just impractical to obtain. And finally, you should understand what AJAX is made up of. It's not a technology, per se. Instead, it is a blanket term to indicate rich browser applications built using powerful combinations of client-side Web technologies that have been around for years, such as JavaScript, cascading style sheets (CSS), DHTML, and XMLHttpRequest.
A large share of the browsers currently available support a common set of features-and these features allow Web developers to build applications that are very interactive, able to refresh quickly, and capable of doing a good deal of work on the client. Leveraging theses capabilities, AJAX applications provide rich user experiences that are similar to using desktop applications. Furthermore, AJAX makes it easier than ever to create "mash-up" applications.
