Ajax for Small Screen Sized Devices

The resources available to develop an Ajax based website are very high in volume and they will not even cost a cent. As long as the developer knows where to look, help regarding a specific case is always there.

On the other hand, resources for Ajax based websites that could be implemented in a mobile phone are limited. Although there are more mobile phones in the world than the actual human population, websites with Ajax for mobile phones is very limited.

We may see very powerful mobile phones such as iPhone and HTC Touch that as the ability to browse full page websites but that is only a small percentage of the total mobile phone population. Most of the mobile phones have mid-range capacity with pocket versions of different browsers.

The OpenAjax Alliance, a group composed of the leaders in computer industry has released certain guidelines on how to properly implement an Ajax based application for mobile phones. The OpenAjax Alliance acknowledges the struggle to port some websites for mobile phones. Specifically, the small screen size of mobile phones has to be considered since it might hinder the visibility of texts and interaction.

Addressing the Problem through CSS

OpenAjax Alliance points out that the solution to this problem is on the reconfiguration of CSS so that it could be properly loaded in mobile phones. Regular CSS can be loaded in desktop computers, laptops and UMPCs but it cannot be easily loaded in mobile phones.

Developers have to change CSS so that it can properly load on mobile phones. One tool that can be used by developers in building CSS to properly implement the Ajax application is in using XSLT. The beauty of XSLT is that the information will be heavily loaded on the server. That means the data will not be heavily based on the capacity of the mobile device but will be placed on the shoulders of the server. Most high end devices only have 400 MHz of speed – a very small capacity when placed in laptops and desktops and would never be able to handle the Ajax application.

That is why it is very important to lessen the load in the client side and place them on the server. Hopefully with the help of XSLT, it could be addressed.

The small screen size will naturally adapt to the reconfigured CSS.

Different Versions of CSS in a Server

If a developer wishes to have a mobile version of an Ajax based website, he should create an entirely new CSS with the old CSS implemented for an Ajax based website. Unfortunately, this is an extra work for developers since they have to create an entirely new version for mobile phones. But it is all worth it if the website needs to be compatible in any medium.

By effectively using XSLT, developers should be able to build mobile versions of an Ajax based website. It will minimize client side requirements as the server will effectively stream the information directly to the mobile device.