Does anyone know how AJAX can affect a webpage's performance?

Question

I've started writing personal intranet database driven websites using AJAX for smoother performance. I have a strange feeling though that using too much of AJAX could somehow affect the overall performance. On the other hand I know Google and many other popular sites use AJAX.

Answer 1

There are two main things that can affect the performance of an AJAX driven website (aside from user bandwidth). The first is the efficiency of the server calls. If the requests you are making take too long, you will have a noticable lag in the response of your page.

The other is the processing power the AJAX itself requires. Remember, AJAX is simply Javascript running on your users' computers, which gives you a lot less control of processing issues (you can't just throw more RAM at the problem). Many toolkits out there now (Yahoo's and Dojo come to mind) allow you to select the 'packages' that you include per page. Also, if you are sending back large XML files for the requests, those file need to be processed on the user's end. Make the response only as large as absolutely necessary, break it up into multiple smaller requests if you can.

Answer 2

I think it is going to depend how many times you hit the database. Just like a non-Ajax application, you want to limit unnecessary calls to the database.

For example, if you were to have an Ajax auto-suggest you probably don't need to hit the database every time someone hits a key in the text field. Instead use an array to load common terms.

another suggestion is to use Ajax to load data before it is needed. So when the user calls for it, it's ready.

Also make sure your Javascript is written efficiently.

Here is a book that might help
http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-JavaScript-Scripting-Ajax-Professional/dp/1590596803/sr=8-2/qid=1159799542/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-1919953-9225523?ie=UTF8&s=books

Answer 3

properly its going to take so significantly better than one smoke to dramatically or truly impact your operating or elementary athletic potential. one smoke or possibly some a month only isn't going to electrify your operating. yet you nonetheless prefer to appreciate that extremely any smoking of a few thing is "ultimately" going to negatively impact your athletic potential. it might properly take a minimum of years and years of smoking weed, better than 5 cases a month, to start up affecting you. now smoking cigarettes is an complete diverse situation. in case you extremely love operating and also you extremely love your unique athletic understanding, then do no longer start up smoking cigarettes! they could negatively impact you lots, lots, lots swifter than weed. only follow weed guy.

Answer 4

You don't have any details on why you have this feeling. Has something stopped working properly?