Waxing Cerebral

Turns out that as recently as May this year Google has released an API called the Google Web Toolkit for designing Ajax sites using Java and Google's own 'Java-to-JavaScript Compiler'. Interesting stuff; this of course enables full debugging within suites like Eclipse, plus source management and a variety of Java tools. O'Reilly's xml.com has a great tutorial on getting this running using Mac OS X.

I have my reservations about this, however.

• The final code appearing on the site is whatever Google has opted to implement, meaning there is less flexibility is the choice of Ajax components and not necessarily my desired solution. Their Grid class, for example, uses html tables to align page elements! Urrghh!.


• Scores of sites will be based on this same easy-to-access code, making the technology less unique.


• It keeps me removed from the base Ajax code meaning that I don't pick up new skills in this area.

...but they have opted to release it under an open source Apache license, it does look like a stunningly clever idea, and it does have the popularity of Google behind it, so if it is well adopted, the toolkit could quickly expand.
There are discussions at Ajaxian, an interview at O'Reilly...


I want control. I'm not going with the toolkit.

I've got some ideas floating around about some pretty comprehensive websites I'd like to put together, and decided it was time to start looking at what to learn next to help me put together something really professional. I have a strong preference for Java and like the speed and presentation of DHTML.
I started looking around, and a number of sites pointed out that the old framework of MVC (Model-View-Controller; here and here) (eg Struts) is old news. The newer Component Based Frameworks are much more highly regarded, with examples such as JSF, Tapestry and Wicket. I felt the most positive about Wicket: it is the newest, but has good adoption, is open source, and is code driven rather than depending heavily on XML (like Tapestry). A great review of the Java options can be found at the javalobby.
I had a look at the Wicket site and was very impressed, but knew this wasn't what I wanted. It is too static, having no active pages, instead every click requests an entirely new page from the server - nah! So onto DHTML it was.

On looking into DHTML, I came across Ajax. DHTML and Ajax can be differentiated on the basis that Ajax is a group of technologies, and DHTML is a subset group of those technologies (think Venn diagrams here). And from what I can see, the only technology that Ajax has that DHTML doesn't is the XMLHttpRequest object (XHR; see Dave Massy's succinct formula and Stefan Mischook's comment). In fact if you google it you'll quickly see that a lot of people consider them one in the same.

Ajax's XHR is very important, as it is this that enables communication with the web server without complete page requests (ie. enables 'asynchronous' updates). So it looks like Ajax is my answer, and with exciting resources such as JSTween and repositories like DynamicDrive.com and script.aculo.us, I can see a colourful and exciting web presence ahead.

I've spent the past 12 and a bit months living in London and as an antipodean, see ads everywhere by companies advertising that they can get you an income tax rebate. For a small fee (about 15%), they'll go through all the hassle of calculating how much should get back and, with the combined forces of 20 of the countries top lawyers, they'll wrest your hard-earned tax back off the taxman. Most of them operate a 'no-rebate, no-fee' service. This should tip you off that their effort is minimal.

I eventually worked out, once you have received your P60 at the end of the tax year you can follow these steps (and it won't cost you a cent in commission!):

1. Go to one of the many online rebate calculators and find out if you really are due a rebate.


2. Contact your employer to find out which IRD (excuse me, now HMRC) branch is your tax office.


3. Contact your tax office and tell them how much you earned and how much tax you paid, and that you think you're due a rebate.


4. If they agree, write a very simple letter (mine consisted of 1 paragraph) saying you think you've paid too much tax.


5. Post the letter and the original P60 (take a copy for your records first in case Royal Mail lose it) to your tax office.


6. Sit back and wait for your cheque.

If you have any earnings from self-employment that's a different matter and you'll need to complete a full return. But for most of us, that's it.

Welcome to the first ever post on this blog. I think I have an idea how this will turn out, but with the organics of the web (and swings and roundabouts of my own interests) who knows where it will go?