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Ajax magazine

Firebug version 1.3 have just been released with more than 50 bug fixes and lots of improvements and new features including :

FBTrace service (for internal Firebug debugging).
TraceConsole (for internal Firebug debugging)
Script panel implemented with as viewport on source to improve performance on large JS files
Find debuggers by scope chain analysis rather than jsContext
scope chain shows in watches panel (from contribution by kpdecker)
Reimplement console/command line to reduce chance of console undefined
DOM properties alphabetical
Reimplement all response views with nsITraceableChannel
Centralize handlers for http-on-modify-request in firebug-http-observer component
Net panel timing improvements: more categories in timing.
Add TraceConsole to aid debugging Firebug.
FBTrace panel removed from X versions (TraceConsole instead)
new option DBG_SPY for spy.js
firebug-service tracing to traceConsole

Rob Campbell posted on his blog that

this version will not be compatible with Firefox 3.1 (Shiretoko) and up. For that youll need a Firebug 1.4 alpha, soon to be dubbed beta available on getfirebug.com's releases

Head First Ajax Book ReviewedJanuary 6

To welcome the new year, I wanted to share with you something I don't know if I can call it a book, or an interactive book, or a book 2.0 ?! It's a brain friendly guide titled "Head first Ajax". Written by Rebecca M. Riordan and published by O'Reilly (September 2, 2008), Head first Ajax is definitely an amazing new Ajax learning experience written in "Head-First" style in a very clear visual format. In about 500 pages, 12 chapters and 2 appendixes, the author covered all the necessary to master Ajax web application development starting from XHTML, CSS, DOM, JavaScript, then to more detailed components Json, XMLHttpRequest, using different techniques JS frameworks, forms validations ... etc.

The book is interesting for beginners, intermediate and even Ajax Experts to refresh their knowledge understanding of different Ajax concepts, or simply to learn about a new visual learning experience. After understanding the basics of Ajax, the book start with an introduction into designing Ajax applications with a registra

The definitive Guide to Django and PHP Web 2.0 Mashup ProjectsDecember 23 2008

This week we have two new books to review, the first from Packt Publishing titled PHP web 2.0 Mashup projects and written by Shu-Wai Chow. The book is just 6 chapters and 283 pages, and include an introductin to create practical mashups in PHP. If you are new to web 2.0 and mashups, you will learn how to grab and mix data from different sources such Google maps, Flickr, Amazon, Youtube, MSN search, Yahoo!, Last.fm, and 411Sync.com.

You will get more familiar with web services and APIs such AWS, Internet UPC database, Microsoft Live Search API, Yahoo! Web API, ... A new experience to gain a thorough understanding of mashup fundamentals. The only problem is that API are frequently updated so you could be surprised to see your code not working anymore. Try to stay updated with the original documentation for each API you use.

The second title for this week is a framework that started gaining in importance from python users in the last two years : django.

OpenXava 3.1: AJAX Entreprise Application from simple Java classesDecember 18 2008

OpenXava 3.1 is a framework to develop AJAX Java Enterprise applications in a different way: OpenXava avoids MVC. You provide only simple Java classes annotated with JPA and you obtain an application ready for production.

With OpenXava, you only need to write your model, POJOs and Java 5 annotations. You do not need to write the view, and the controller (for CRUD, printing, etc) is reused. And from that you'll have an application for CRUD, report generation in PDF, export to Excel, searching, sorting, validations etc. You only need to write a simple Java class, no XMLs, no JSPs and no code generation.

The main new feature of 3.1 is that generates AJAX appplications, in this way if you update to OX3.1, your OX (3.x, 2.x, or 1.x) applications will be AJAX without touching a single line of code. In the other hand, if you application is not OX but you use JPA entities, you can move your JPA code to an OpenXava application and obtain an AJAX portal application easily.

Interactive Barcode, Cool jQuery-Based Online PortfolioDecember 17 2008

Alexandre Plennevaux pointed us to a jQuery-based online portfolio of the the photographer Lisa Pram. The interface is a specific design approach to online image galleries aiming to produce an integrated graphical product based on the work itself. The result of this search is an "interactive barcode", generating a unique representation of Lisa Prams work in a non-metaphorical manner, through indexing of her image sets according to four main keywords, which stand for the main areas of her work - Professional, Experimental , Advertising and Editorial.

Clicking on each of them allows the visitor to filter through her image galleries. Each gallery is represented by a line which thickness reflects the number of images it contains - 1 image is 1 pixel width. This simple principle leads to the barcode representation. Clicking each of these lines unfolds its pictures in a continuous strip inside the barcode, thus introducing the user into the colors and contrasts of her work.

Finally, an additional navigation system is laid out underneath the barcode, to ensure that this interface website, although experimental, achieves a good level of usability. The interface was entirely done with progressive enh