AJAX

I am new to AJAX so I have some questions on AJAX. Sorry if I am asking some stupid questions.

1.How many AJAX implementation (or engines) are currently available ? Which one of them is good to be used?

2.Who owns AJAX ? Is it owned by Adaptive Paths Jesse James or...

3.After reading the articles I think that AJAX still does not solve the back button problem. Am I right?

4. When shouldn't AJAX be used ?

Replacing existing view implementation with AJAX is a lot of work.

thanks

1) Each browser has its own implementation of XMLHttpRequest. You don't get to choose which one to use.

2) AJAX is not a product, it is an acronymn (for Asynchronous Javascript And XML) to describe a combination of technologies. It is not owned by anyone, though the acronym was coined by Adaptive Path.

3) AJAX has little to do with the back button.

4) The better question would be 'when to use it'. Using a technology unless or until you have a good reason to use it, just because it's "cool", usually doesn't work out for the best.

Thanks Bear.

I read an article at dev2dev.com regarding AJAX where it was mentioned about an AJAX engine called as backbase. It has a client side component called as BPC (Backbase Presentation Client) and a server side component called as Backbase XML server. The article also refers to some other engine called as DWR.

http://dev2dev.bea.com/pub/a/2005/08/backbase_ajax.html

I would like to know whether AJAX was inspired by Gmail ?

How to pronounce AJAX ? Thanks.

XMLHttpRequest pre-dates gmail, but gmail is generally credited with popularizing it.

AJAX is pronounced: A - Jacks

Thanks.

Could Eric please answer my question on Babkbase?

Eric,

When shouldn't AJAX be used?

I have not used backbase, read their website here for details:
http://www.backbase.com/#home/home.xml[0]

For things not to do, I say if it breaks my new pet peeves...
http://radio.javaranch.com/pascarello/2005/11/09/1131566381315.html

Eric