The XMLHttpRequest Object
With an XMLHttpRequest you can communicate with your server from inside a web page.
What is the XMLHttpRequest Object?
The XMLHttpRequest object is the developer’s dream , because you can:
Update a web page with new data without reloading the page
Request and receive new data from a server after the page has loaded
Communicate with a server in the background
XMLHttpRequest Example
When you type in the input box below, an HTTP request is sent to the server and
name suggestions are returned from a name list:
Type a letter in the input box:
First Name
Suggestions:
Creating an XMLHttpRequest Object
Creating an XMLHttpRequest object is done with one single line of JavaScript.
In all modern browsers:
var xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest()
In older Microsoft browsers (IE 5 and 6):
var xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP")
In the next chapter, we will use the XMLHttpRequest object to retrieve XML
information from a server.
The XMLHttpRequest object is supported in all modern browsers
Is the XMLHttpRequest Object a W3C Standard?
The XMLHttpRequest object is not specified in any W3C recommendation.
However, the W3C DOM Level 3 "Load and Save" specification contains some similar functionality, but these are not implemented in any browsers yet.
The Altova MissionKit, recent winner of the Jolt Product Excellence and Productivity Award for Best Development Environment,
is an integrated suite of tools ideal for:
XML development
Web & Web services development
Data mapping & integration
Rendering & publishing XML & database data
XBRL validation, taxonomy editing, transformation & rendering
The MissionKit for XML Developers includes XMLSpy®, MapForce®, and StyleVision® plus 3 additional tools for less than the price of 2.
Try all 6 products free for 30 days!
Download a fully-functional free trial