AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a newly coined term for two powerful browser FEATURES that have been around for years, but were overlooked by many WEB developers until recently when applications such as Gmail, Google Suggest, and Google Maps hit the streets.

Ajax isn’t a technology. It’s really several technologies, each FLOURISHING in its own right, coming together in powerful new ways. Ajax incorporates:
* standards-based PRESENTATION using XHTML and CSS;
* dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object Model;
* data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT;
* Asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest;
* JavaScript binding everything together.

AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a newly coined term for two powerful browser features that have been around for years, but were overlooked by many web developers until recently when applications such as Gmail, Google Suggest, and Google Maps hit the streets.

Ajax isn’t a technology. It’s really several technologies, each flourishing in its own right, coming together in powerful new ways. Ajax incorporates:
* standards-based presentation using XHTML and CSS;
* dynamic display and interaction using the Document Object Model;
* data interchange and manipulation using XML and XSLT;
* Asynchronous data retrieval using XMLHttpRequest;
* JavaScript binding everything together.