Visual Dataflex- AJAX Training

AJAX Framework Training

"JavaScript, AJAX... and beyond! (about making things work for you)."

Thursday & Friday February 18/19

The AJAX Visual DataFlex Library and how to use it to enhance Web Applications with advanced client side scripting.

This 2 day course on the VDF AJAX Library will get you started on serious web application development. Given by a combination of Mike Peat and Harm Wibier, this will provide an introduction to Javascript and the Document Object Model (DOM) and then show you how the VDF AJAX library puts these to work for you.

Basics of JavaScript and the DOM

These are the basic technologies used in building advanced web applications. While Visual DataFlex can generate good looking interactive Web applications without necessarily knowing any of this, in order to extend these to meet the needs of complex, real world user needs, you do need to understand what is going on "under the hood".

Structure and syntax, data types, operators, expressions, variables, objects, arrays and functions, conditional execution, loops and exception handling
More advanced aspects such as anonymous functions (lambdas), namespaces, modules and closures.
JavaScript in the Web Browser
The DOM (Document Object Model) for both HTML and XML and how to work with it in JavaScript,
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) API, browser incompatibilities and what to do about them,
the browser event model and event listeners,

the XMLHttpRequest object which forms the basis for Ajax-style web applications.

The Visual DataFlex AJAX Library

How Ajax works. How it uses the HTTPRequest interface to make soap style calls to the web server.
How it works asynchronously and the benefits that provides.
How to enhance web applications with scripting and calling web services to provide interactive web applications based on the functionality demonstrated in the VDF AJAX Examples.
Creating a new workspace, adding the Ajax library and create a simple page using the wizards.
CSS and how it is used to control the look of the web pages.
The Java Script classes that make up the Ajax framework.

About the Trainers

Mike Peat, of Unicorn Interglobal, has been involved with XML and Web services etc. in the context of Visual DataFlex since the very early days of these. Mike worked closely with Data Access when the VDF Web Services features which are a key element of the AJAX Library capabilites were first developed, and has remained heavily involved in web application development with VDF.

Harm Wibier is a member of the Data Access Europe development team and is involved in both the development and usage of the VDF AJAX library, particularly in building HelpDesk Express, an excellent example of what can be achieved with it. More details of that here in our VDF Autumn Seminar report.

Details

9:30 am Thursday to 4:00 pm Friday

Limited to 8 trainees maximum

You will need to bring
VDF 15.1 and the AJAX Library 2.1 (which is included in the VDF 15.1 installer) loaded onto your own laptop, plus if possible Firefox and the Firebug debugger.

Mike Peat will be giving you examples relevant to his training material to install which you can use to follow along with the course and/or for later study.

Prior skills
Some familiarity with VDF Development and a basic understanding of the Visual DataFlex WebApp Server - installation, workspaces and the Web Business Object concept.

Cost
£350 (plus VAT) for the two days to include lunch. (NB:- we are subsidising the cost from the usual commercial rates of £3-500 per day for such a course.)

Location
Asckey Data Services Ltd
Church End Farm, Warboys Road, Pidley, Cambs, PE28 3DA

Registration
Register for this training course here or contact us on 0845 270 7747 to book a place on this course.

Accomodation
Good value overnight accommodation if required available at www.lakeside-lodge.co.uk