Dave Crane, Author, Ajax Patterns

Dave Crane is a well known authority in the field of Ajax and web application development, as a writer, trainer and software developer. He has worked with a number of web technologies from Perl through to Java over the last ten years. He is currently working as senior developer for UK-based Historic Futures Ltd., developing the next generation of socially responsible supply-chain systems using Ajax to link entities as disparate as rural farmers' cooperatives and multinational corporations.

Dave Crane's Weblog

Presentation: "Ajax and design patterns : Do we need a client tier?"

Track: Ajax & Browser-Based Applications

Time: Friday 09:45 - 10:45

Location: Fleming Room

Abstract:

Ajax has revitalised interest in JavaScript development, and the last year has seen an explosion of new JavaScript/Ajax frameworks and libraries.

An Ajax application can occupy a user's attention for several hours without leaving the original page. Thus, we are loading larger amounts of JavaScript into the web browser, and keeping it there for longer. Have we crossed the threshold above which it is sensible to apply design patterns and structured coding techniques to JavaScript, just as we are used to doing on the server? Is it valid to talk of a new client-side tier in our n-tier applications?

This talk will explore the ways in which it is possible to apply design patterns to the client tier, and how our use of patterns compares with use on the server-side. We will examine the tension between maintaining control on the server and delegating control to the client, and look at the pros and cons of each architecture. Examples of real-world application of patterns in Ajax will be presented to accompany the discussion.

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