You get a complete background on what goes into the current web site and applications, and learn to improve these tools along with Ajax for advanced browser searching, web services, mashups, and more. You discover how to turn web browsers and web sites into the correct application, and why developing with Ajax is faster, easier and cheaper. The book also explains: How to connect the server side backend components to user interfaces in the browser Loading and manipulating XML documents, and how to replace XML with JSON Manipulating the Document Object Model (DOM) Designing Ajax interfaces for usability, functionality, visualization, and accessibility Site navigation layout, including issues with Ajax and the browser back button Adding life to tables & lists, navigation boxes and windows Animation creation, interactive forms, and data validation Search, web services and mash-ups Applying Ajax to business communications, and Internet games without plug-ins to create gains from modular way of coding, to optimize Ajax applications, and many more This book also provides references to XML and XSLT, popular JavaScript Frameworks, Libraries, and toolkits, and various Web Service APIs. By offering web developers a broader set of tools and options, Ajax gives developers a new way to create content on the Web, while removing the obstacles in the past.