Datasheet

Writely lets you create and edit documents just as if you were using it on a desktop, and it relies
heavily on Ajax to avoid page refreshes as the user works on a document. Writely is another of
those applications making the migration from the desktop to the Web. You’ve already seen an
online spreadsheet application; now you’ve seen an online word processor — both usually desktop
applications, now possible online.
Add interactivity to maps
One of the first Ajax applications that started it all is Google Maps, at http://maps
.google.com
, which in Figure 1.37 is zooming in on 10 Market Street in San Francisco.
See that popup and the arrow pointing to 10 Market Street? The data for those items is down-
loaded using Ajax behind the scenes in Google Maps. Cool.
FIGURE 1.37
Using Google Maps
Many other map sites have sprung up since the original Google Maps introduction. For example,
take a look at
www.gtraffic.info, which gives you traffic information in the UK. Those
arrows on the map you see in Figure 1.38 are Ajax-enabled.
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Essential Ajax
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