XML.com: All Aboard AJAX, HTML Canvas, and the Supertrain

XML.com: All Aboard AJAX, HTML Canvas, and the Supertrain: "All Aboard AJAX, HTML Canvas, and the Supertrain
by Dave Hoover
January 18, 2006

Apple's Safari browser introduced the canvas HTML element, allowing web developers to create two-dimensional drawings using a simple JavaScript API. With the recent release of Firefox 1.5, canvas took a significant step toward the mainstream (canvas is currently being considered for inclusion in HTML 5). Unfortunately, Microsoft holds most of the cards in this game, meaning that it could be a long time before they release a canvas-friendly version of Internet Explorer. In the meantime, though, the Web 2.0 revolution continues, and I believe that for applications that can sacrifice IE users, the canvas element is an untapped resource, particularly in light of the emergence of JavaScript libraries that provide simple interfaces to XMLHttpRequest. I dabbled with canvas and XHR, and I was impressed. (The irony that canvas and XHR come respectively from Apple and Microsoft should not be overlooked.) :-)"