Multiple XML Http Request

Developing Ajax or JavaScript applications require innovations to ensure accessibility for users. Specifically, developers should be aggressive in creating online applications that could work with almost no flaw even in weaker gadgets and weak internet connections. By expanding to weaker gadgets and connections, the online application expands its usability which means more users.

One of the biggest challenge developers for Ajax and JavaScript is on how to handle XHR (XMLHttpRequest) without lagging the system on the client side. Perfect conditions will always handle XHR without any problem but as already indicated; there are gadgets who cannot handle XHR well. That problem is even increased since a single XHR is not sufficient especially for highly interactive online applications.

Digg.com has faced this problem for sometime as the website practically became an online bookmarking application. A single account and bookmark would have various requests at the same time as the application interacts with the user. Although it will not necessarily stop the application from working in weaker gadgets and connection, it could slow down Digg.com which is still an inconvenience.

To answer this problem, developers at Digg.com created MXHR or Multiple XMLHttpRequest. This is actually a very smart innovation as it will vie to change the behavior of online transactions. Its objective, of course, is to ease client side interactions without compromising the expected activities. MXHR is still on its beta version but it has already generated interest because of its innovation and the probability that it ease client side interaction is just too hard to ignore.

In gist, MXHR will allow multiple data requests to generate more interaction from the user. But instead of letting the requests individually continue its normal course, these requests will be collected into a single request. By collecting the request, the client side will regard it as a single request and continue the normal process. But before they are received for implementation, MXHR will “unlock” the requests for implementation. These requests will not be implemented simultaneously but will be implemented according to the specifications of the developer or based on the actions of the user.

This new technique in XHR is being added to Digg.com’s library called DUI.Stream. MXHR explores the possibility of pushing XHR further by letting groups of requests go through instead of single requests. This might look like slowing the process down by letting XHR get more requests than usual but XHR could actually handle requests these requests well as long as they are properly coded.

But remember MXHR is still in beta version. Comments and reactions on MXHR may look good at first but after some testing, the improvement in requests is only a little bit faster and at times, almost the same as normal coding.

Developers at Digg.com still have a lot of things to do to ensure that MXHR will work as expected. It should be a great library once out of beta testing. It should be able to help developers create more aggressive application without requiring too much from the client side.