Web Development Beginner

What is AJAX?

A technique for making asynchronous HTTP requests from a web page without reloading the entire page.

AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) enables dynamic page updates by fetching data from the server in the background. Originally using XMLHttpRequest, modern JavaScript uses the Fetch API: fetch('/api/data').then(r => r.json()).then(data => updateUI(data)).

AJAX revolutionized web development by enabling single-page-like experiences. Common uses include form submission without reload, infinite scrolling, auto-complete search, live notifications, and real-time dashboards. Despite the name, JSON has largely replaced XML as the data format.

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