Web-developers can create amazing web-applications with AJAX. Stikkit, Netvibes, GMail and dozens of further web-projects offer a new level of interactivity we’ve used to give up the idea of. Modern web-applications can be designed with enhanced user interfaces and functionalities, which used to be the privelege of professional desktop-applications. AJAX makes it possible to create more interactive, more responsive and more flexible web-solutions. And it’s the first step towards rich internet applications of the future.

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML isn’t a new programming language, as it is often mistakingly called. Basically, AJAX is a set of XHTML, CSS, DOM, XMLHttpRequest and XML, put together and used together for the same purpose - to improve the user-server-interaction.

• To understand the idea behind AJAX, you should read Jesse James Garrett’s article “Ajax: A New Approach to Web Applications” and Wikipedia: Ajax;
• to learn the basics of AJAX, you should go through some AJAX tutorials we’ve presented previously;
• to learn more about professional CSS coding, you should visit 70 Expert Ideas For Better CSS Coding;
• and to get a powerful and handy CSS-Toolbox for your future projects, you can use 53 CSS-Techniques You Couldn’t Live Without.

In this article we’d like to present a list of over 90 useful AJAX-based techniques you should always have ready to hand developing AJAX-based web-applications. Auto-completion, instant field editing, menus, calendars, interactive elements, visual effects, animation, basic javascripts, as well as an extensive developer’s suite should give you a useful and powerful toolbox you can use every day, without a need to go through hundreds of AJAX-related bookmarks.

80+ AJAX-Solutions For Professional Coding

Technorati Tags: Ajax, animations, calendars, coding, editing, grid, javascript, menus, techniques, tools

Some months ago we’ve selected 50 prominent designers and design companies, contacted them and asked to answer five design-related questions, sharing their knowledge and experience with fellows developers. 35 designers have responded then. For each of 5 questions we’ve received 5 precise answers. The result was 35×5 professional ideas from some of the leading web-developers all around the world.

Good news — planning the celebration of our 1st anniversary, we’ve decided to do some more math. We’ve selected 6 questions, which main purpose was to give fellows designers more insights in practice, and in the experience prominent designers gained during their work over the last 5-10 years.

So this time we wanted it to be not about useful coding suggestions or clever CSS-techniques, but about the practical knowledge and personal experience developers would share with us and our readers.

What are the things you should know before starting designing / programming? What things should you be aware of? How to get your project done? In fact, we wanted to take a close look at some practical answers to these questions - from the worlds’ best designers.

50 Designers x 6 Questions

Technorati Tags: coding, creative, CSS, design, inspiration, techniques

Productivity is a tricky thing. Once you’ve found your way to get things done, you aren’t likely to change anything until the system (your workflow or your tools) doesn’t work any more. For instance, many developers tend to use the very same versions of applications they’ve been using over years. After all, you get things done and you’ve got used to it — so why should you introduce any changes? “Never touch the running system” is the principle which is often followed in such situations.

Productivity Boost: Key Stroke Launchers>>

Technorati Tags: desktop, launcher, productivity, tool