Basic Things That Developers Must Avoid While Ajax has been the subject of hype for its ability to make web applications much more interactive, with power comes responsibility, and Ajax can be dangerous in the hands of developers who do not know how to use it properly. While Ajax has a great deal of potential, it is far from being perfect. There are a number of UI problems that can occur with Ajax applications, and some of these problems are server sided in nature. There are a lot of mistakes that developers can make when using Ajax, and it is important for you to avoid them. One of the most common mistakes that developers make is using Ajax just because it is one of the hottest tools available on the web.

If you're going to use Ajax, you should take into consideration more than just the hype which surrounds the tool. While Ajax may be the latest web application tool, it is not a toy. However, many of the applications which are being developed by Ajax have no useful purpose. They are designed simply because the developer things they are cool, but they offer absolutely nothing to the common user. While these applications might be fun for a certain period of time, I think it could be argued that they don't have a great deal of longevity as far as applications are concerned. Dealing With The Back Button The back button is not a bad feature for most web page interfaces. The problem is, the back button doesn't work well with JavaScript, one of the technologies which make up Ajax. A wish to maintain the back button function is one of the key reasons why it may not be a good idea to create an app that is 100 percent JavaScript. Another thing that developers will want to pay attention to is a failure to give instant visual indicators for clicking on a widget. If a user click on something that creates an Ajax action, that user should be given a clue that something is going on. One example of a program that uses this properly is Gmail. The button is located on the right side of the top page, and when you do something in Gmail, a small red box will show that the page is loading. This is done because Ajax doesn't use the standard cues which show that a page is being loaded. Doing this is very important, for it will show that the application is user friendly. Now that I've talked about this, I will next want to address the issue of leaving behind people who are offline. Web programs are pushing the boundaries farther each day, and some have said that all applications must be moved online. The Transition From Offline to Online Applications There are a number of reasons why many developers feel that virtually all applications should be moved from offline to online. Some of these reasons include global access, the configuration and maintenance, and the learning curve, which has a tendency to be shorter for web applications when compared to desktop applications. However, there are a number of issues that must be considered. First, not everyone has a broadband Internet connection. The vast majority of the people in the world are still using dial up, and only a small percentage are using Internet connections which are broadband or faster. For the people who use slower connections, being force to only use web based applications can be tedious and irritating. Also, there is the possibility that some people will prefer to use these applications offline. Developers who want to succeed with Ajax must prepare for this. If you decide to simply leave these people behind, you will dramatically reduce your potential user base. Offline access should always be considered even when a web based application is being developed. Anyone who is familiar with Gmail knows that it uses POP, a feature that is not web based. Users Don't Want to Wait For Ajax The biggest mistake that developers can make is developing their applications in a way that forces users to wait. This is one of the biggest downsides to Flash. A lot of webmasters build Flash intros to their site, and while users may watch these intros the first time around, they can become annoying after a few visits, because all they do is waste time. Even if you are able to click on a button to skip the Flash intro, this still takes time. With Ajax, developers must get past fancy animations and focus on functions.