ajaxonmobiledevices

Ajax stands for Asynchronous Javascript and XML, and is a programming technique for creating compelling web sites. Using Ajax, a web page can update its content without performing a complete page refresh.

Is Ajax support on Internet Explorer Mobile? Yes! You can definitely write web pages that make use of Ajax techniques and work on Windows Mobile 5-based devices. IE Mobile's Ajax support dates back to Windows Mobile 2003.

Things to be aware of when writing Ajax Applications targeted at Mobile Devices

* Use of the GetElementByID method.
* On Smartphone/PocketPC 2003 innerText and innerHTML Properties are only supported on div and span elements. Form elements are scriptable as well.
* On Windows Mobile 5 innerText and innerHTML Properties are supported on all elements. In addition there is support for document.all and the style object.

Links and Resources

* IE Mobile Blog
* MSDN DOM documentation
* Mobile Web Development_mobilewebdev.asp?frame=true
* Ajax on XML.COM
* Ajax Hacks - a book I liked

Application Design Ideas

Thinking of using Ajax in your Pocket PC application? Here are some design ideas.

1. Web Page

The Windows Mobile web browser - Internet Explorer Mobile - supports Javascript, XMLHTTP Request Object, and supports a DOM. This is all you need to create an Ajax web page. There are a few differences you need to take into account, but creating an application that runs completely as a web page is entirely possible.

2. Client Application and Web Page

The Compact Framework library includes a Web Browser (see the Tabbed Web Browser Starter Kit for an example of this being used) which could also be used with Ajax. For example, the client application running on the Pocket PC or Smartphone could read longtitude and latitude data from a GPS device, and then put these values into an HTML page generated "on the fly" and passed to a web-based map provider. The map provided returns an image of the map, which is displayed in the client's web browser control.

Ajax stands for *Asynchronous Javascript and XML*%2c and is a programming technique for creating compelling web sites. Using Ajax%2c a web page can update its content without performing a complete page refresh.
 
Is Ajax support on Internet Explorer Mobile%3f Yes%21 You can definitely write web pages that make use of Ajax techniques and work on Windows Mobile 5-based devices.  IE Mobile%27s Ajax support dates back to Windows Mobile 2003.
 
 
*Things to be aware of when writing Ajax Applications targeted at Mobile Devices*
 
	* Use of the %5bGetElementByID%5d method.
	* On Smartphone/PocketPC 2003 innerText and innerHTML Properties are only supported on div and span elements. Form elements are scriptable as well.
	* On Windows Mobile 5 innerText and innerHTML Properties are supported on all elements. In addition there is support for document.all and the style object.
 
*Links and Resources*
 
	* %5burl%3aIE Mobile Blog%7chttp%3a//blogs.msdn.com/iemobile/archive/2005/11/15/493200.aspx%5d
	* %5burl%3aMSDN DOM documentation%7chttp%3a//msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp%3furl%3d/library/en-us/mobilesdk5/html/mogrfdomreferenceguide.asp%3fframe%3dtrue%5d
	* %5burl%3aMobile Web Development%7chttp%3a//msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp%3furl%3d/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/anch%5d_mobilewebdev.asp%3fframe%3dtrue
	* %5burl%3aAjax on XML.COM%7chttp%3a//www.xml.com/ajax/%5d
	* %5burl%3aAjax Hacks - a book I liked%7chttp%3a//www.oreilly.com/catalog/ajaxhks/index.html%5d
 
 
*Application Design Ideas*
 
Thinking of using Ajax in your Pocket PC application%3f Here are some design ideas.
 
1. Web Page
 
The Windows Mobile web browser - Internet Explorer Mobile - supports Javascript%2c XMLHTTP Request Object%2c and supports a DOM. This is all you need to create an Ajax web page. There are a few differences you need to take into account%2c but creating an application that runs completely as a web page is entirely possible.
 
2. Client Application and Web Page
 
The Compact Framework library includes a Web Browser %28see the %5burl%3aTabbed Web Browser Starter Kit%7chttp%3a//channel9.msdn.com/wiki/default.aspx/MobileDeveloper.TabbedWebBrowser%5d for an example of this being used%29 which could also be used with Ajax. For example%2c the client application running on the Pocket PC or Smartphone could read longtitude and latitude data from a GPS device%2c and then put these values into an HTML page generated %22on the fly%22 and passed to a web-based map provider. The map provided returns an image of the map%2c which is displayed in the client%27s web browser control.