AJAX - Create an XMLHttpRequest Object
The keystone of AJAX is the XMLHttpRequest object.
The XMLHttpRequest Object
All modern browsers support the XMLHttpRequest object.
The XMLHttpRequest object is used to exchange data with a server behind the scenes. This means that it is possible to update parts of a web page, without reloading the whole page.
Create an XMLHttpRequest Object
All modern browsers (Chrome, IE7+, Firefox, Safari, and Opera) have a built-in XMLHttpRequest object.
Syntax for creating an XMLHttpRequest object:
variable = new XMLHttpRequest();
Old versions of Internet Explorer (IE5 and IE6) use an ActiveX Object:
variable = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
To handle all browsers, including IE5 and IE6, check if the browser supports the XMLHttpRequest object. If it does, create an XMLHttpRequest object, if not, create an ActiveXObject:
Example
var xhttp;
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
xhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
}
else {
// code for IE6, IE5
xhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
}
Try it yourself »
In the next chapter you will learn about sending server requests.
