The new m-Painter Ajax panel brings Ajax techniques to users with simple point-and-click features.
Software developer mrc has announced a new point-and-click Ajax panel in m-Painter (the WYSIWYG HTML editor built into m-Power), that gives anyone the ability to add advanced interactivity to Web applications.
m-Power is software that modernizes legacy applications and rapidly creates Web applications such as report-writing, business intelligence, executive dashboards, e-commerce, customer portals, and wireless applications, to name a few.
Ajax (shorthand for Asynchronous Javascript and XML) is used in the creation of interactive interfaces in Web applications. Using Ajax, Web applications can retrieve data from the server without interfering with the existing page. For example, Google Maps uses Ajax in the interface so users can change views and manipulate the maps without reloading the page every time.
While previously available in m-Power, the use of Ajax required scripting knowledge. The new m-Painter Ajax panel brings Ajax techniques to everyone in the form of a simple point-and-click panel. This panel allows users to easily include a number of interactive features in their Web applications, such as:
- Suggestions: Ajax "suggest" lists possible values for the user as soon as he or she starts typing. For example, online search engines use this Ajax technique to suggest a list of possible search terms based on user input. Using Ajax suggest cuts down on user spelling errors and increases overall application ease of use.
- Validation: Checks to make sure all the information in an online form is valid before the form is submitted. For example, a company might set up validation on its online store to automatically query stock levels as a customer is shopping on the site. If a customer enters an item quantity higher than its stock levels, the customer receives a notification. Having validation protects users from entering invalid data while giving them a sense that the application understands and responds to their input.
- Real-time Dropdown Lists: Automatically creates a dropdown list based on real-time data. For example, an online clothing company could create an Ajax dropdown list populated with only the currently in-stock sizes. As soon as any size is sold out, it no longer appears in the dropdown list. Using real-time dropdown eliminates the need for manual application updates as the application can change displayed information automatically and provide users with the most current data possible.
- Cascading Dropdown List: Automatically creates a dropdown list based on user input elsewhere on the page. For example, an online car seller would first ask users what car maker they want, and then create an Ajax cascading dropdown list of available models based on their choice of maker. Cascading dropdown lists increase an application's speed as they can automatically respond to multiple inputs without refreshing the page.
- Suggestions/Validation: Although provided with an Ajax suggest list, a user might still type a product name manually, increasing chances of misspelling the product name. This feature adds validation as a backup to Ajax suggest to ensure the user inputs the correct value. Using the combination suggestion/validation technique increases overall ease of use while protecting the user from accidentally entering invalid data.
Overall, Web applications using Ajax provide a simple and intuitive user experience, making it easier for clients and prospects to do business with a company. If used internally, applications using Ajax can increase productivity as they are faster and more intuitive for employees.
"This new Ajax panel brings some very advanced techniques down to everyone who uses m-Power," says Brian Crowley, mrc's director of development. "Now anyone, regardless of skill-level, can take advantage of Ajax and the benefits it provides!"
Readers can view an example of Ajax "suggest" by searching in any of the column headings in the demo application here. To learn more, contact mrc via phone at 630-916-0662, fax at 630-916-0663, or e-mail at
About mrc
mrc's Web application development tool, m-Power, is used to create business applications and can run on any platform that supports Java (e.g. OS/400, Linux, Unix, and Windows). Applications access DB2/400, Oracle, MySQL and MS SQL, or any combination thereof. Using these development tools, users create an endless variety of Java-based business Web applications from simple queries to reports, to complex custom enterprise systems and dashboards. mrc was a recipient of the 2004 Apex Award for application development, is a longtime IBM Business Partner, and has been producing award-winning development software since 1981.
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