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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Updated W3C Working Draft: XMLHttpRequest Object for Ajax

Members of the W3C Web API Working Group have released an updated
Working Draft of "The XMLHttpRequest Object" specification, superseding
the document of 2007-06-18. The core component of Ajax, the
XMLHttpRequest object is an interface that allows scripts to perform
HTTP client functions, such as submitting form data or loading data
from a remote Web site. The name "XMLHttpRequest" is used for
compatibility with the Web, but may be misleading. First, the object
supports any text based format, including XML. Second, it can be used
to make requests over both HTTP and HTTPS (some implementations support
protocols in addition to HTTP and HTTPS, but that functionality is not
covered by this specification). Finally, it supports "requests" in a
broad sense of the term as it pertains to HTTP; namely all activity
involved with HTTP requests or responses for the defined HTTP methods.
The XMLHttpRequest object can be used by scripts to programmatically
connect to their originating server via HTTP. The document is being
produced as part of the Rich Web Clients Activity in the W3C Interaction
Domain. With the ubiquity of Web browsers and Web document formats
across a range of platforms and devices, many developers are using the
Web as an application environment. Examples of applications built on
rich Web clients include reservation systems, online shopping or
auction sites, games, multimedia applications, calendars, maps, chat
applications, weather displays, clocks, interactive design applications,
stock tickers, currency converters and data entry/display systems. Web
client applications typically have some form of programmatic control.
They may run within the browser or within another host application. A
Web client application is typically downloaded on demand each time it
is "executed," allowing a developer to update the application for all
users as needed. Such applications are usually smaller than regular
desktop applications in terms of code size and functionality, and may
have interactive rich graphical interfaces. More Information See also W3C Rich Web Clients: Click Here

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