[thelist] idea behind ajax: clear non-presentation-only-logic on server end

[Hassan Schroeder]

Zhang Weiwu wrote:

> I worked on this very web application for 3 years, the complex structure of
> this application makes the UI very difficult to design, almost every HTML
> element is supposed to be dynamic, changing itself from a input box to a
> selection list with one mouse click. Generating the HTML from server side is
> causing a lot of detail data flowing between server and client and the
> structure is more and more difficult to maintain.  

You didn't mention the dynamic UI aspect, but that doesn't change
my opinion :-)

>                      The current php application use the structure of UI
> layer, which is a set of objects generating the data that can be used by the
> smarty template, which in turn generate the HTML, which in turn used in the
> client side javascript to manipulate, sometimes generating javascript using
> php is necessary. 

It sounds to me like what's missing is a client-side layer designed
to provide your dynamic elements (and interaction with the server)
without being written on the fly.

Have you considered a redesign with some client library like Dojo
<http://dojotoolkit.org/> or the (admittedly new) Google Web Toolkit
<http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/>?

Alternatively, you might consider Flex or Laszlo as RIA platforms
built to do what you're describing. :-)

FWIW,
-- 
Hassan Schroeder ----------------------------- hassan at webtuitive.com
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