List of Ajax frameworks

This is a list of notable Ajax frameworks, used for creating web applications with a dynamic link between the client and the server. Some of the frameworks are JavaScript compilers, for generating JavaScript and Ajax that runs in the web browser client; some are pure JavaScript libraries; others are server-side frameworks that typically rely on JavaScript libraries.

JavaScript

JavaScript frameworks are browser-side frameworks very commonly used in Ajax development. There are hundreds of JavaScript frameworks available. According to latest surveys, the most used JavaScript frameworks are:

Framework	License
jQuery, a JavaScript library that provides an Ajax framework and other utilities, and jQuery UI, a plug-in that provides abstractions for low-level interaction and animation, advanced effects and high-level, themeable widgets.	GPL and MIT
MooTools, a compact and modular JavaScript framework best known for its visual effects and transitions.	MIT
Prototype, a JavaScript framework that provides Ajax and other utilities, and Script.aculo.us, a plug-in for animations and interface development.	MIT
YUI Library, a set of utilities and controls, for building richly interactive web applications using techniques such as DOM scripting, DHTML and Ajax.	BSD
ASP.NET AJAX, a set of extensions to ASP.NET for implementing Ajax functionality.	Microsoft Public License
Spry framework, an open source Ajax framework developed by Adobe which is used in the construction of Rich Internet applications. It is no longer maintained.	MIT
Dojo Toolkit, an Open Source DHTML toolkit written in JavaScript.	modified BSD license or the Academic Free License
Ext JS, a library that extends Prototype, Jquery and YUI until version 1.0. Since version 1.1 a standalone Ajax framework.	GPLv3 or proprietary
Backbone.js, loosely based on the Model-View-Controller application design paradigm	MIT
AngularJS	MIT
Unified.JS, a part of the JavaScript language framework.	BSD (component only) & commercial

Other frameworks that are more AJAX specific, and not among the list of general purpose frameworks:

• AJAX.OOP, an open source framework, it provides an OOP-style programming engine and Ajax requests-handling functionality to create web 2.0 components.
• Ample SDK, standards-based Ajax framework for Rich Internet application development
• Bindows, an enterprise Ajax framework, with Windows look and feel
• DHTMLX, a JavaScript library that includes a comprehensive set of user interface components and a special module for server-side integration.
• qooxdoo, is a comprehensive Ajax application framework. Leveraging object-oriented JavaScript allows developers to build cross-browser applications.
• Smartclient, provides a zero-install DHTML/Ajax client engine, user interface components and services, and client-server data-binding systems.
• SproutCore, designed to make desktop-like apps for the web
• Wakanda Framework, works on top of WakandaDB with Server-Side JavaScript, designed to build interfaces for desktop & mobile Web applications.

Java

These frameworks use Java for server-side Ajax operations:

• Apache Wicket an open-source Java server-centric framework supporting Ajax development
• AribaWeb an open-source framework with Reflection and Object-Relational mapping
• DWR Direct Web Remoting
• Echo for Ajax servlets
• FormEngine a framework for easy creation of dynamic forms
• Google Web Toolkit a widget library with a Java to JavaScript compiler
• ItsNat a server-side Java framework focused on single-page interface applications
• JackBe enterprise Ajax framework
• JSF Java Server Faces
• OpenXava model-driven framework for creating Ajax business applications
• RAP Eclipse Rich Ajax Platform
• JBoss RichFaces, ICEfaces and PrimeFaces open-source Ajax component libraries for JavaServer Faces
• Tersus an open-source platform for developing rich web applications by visual programming
• Vaadin a server-side Java widget framework depending on GWT
• ZK an open-source Java server+client fusion Ajax framework depending on jQuery and XUL

.NET

The following frameworks are available for the Windows .NET platform:

• ASP.NET AJAX (previously Microsoft Atlas)

Perl

• Catalyst, Catalyst::Plugin::Prototype or other js frameworks

PHP

A PHP Ajax framework is able to deal with database, search data, and build pages or parts of page and publish the page or return data to the XMLHttpRequest object.

• Quicknet is an Ajax framework that provides secure data transmission, uses PHP on the server side
• Sajax PHP framework with a lot of functions, easy to integrate functions yourself
• Xajax uses only the XML format, on the server side

Python

These frameworks use Python for client-side Ajax operations:

• Pyjamas, a widget library with a Python to JavaScript compiler.

Ruby

The Ruby on Rails framework used to implement a Domain-specific language named RJS, which can be used to write Ruby code that generates Javascript code. The code generated by RJS was usually loaded using Ajax, e.g. by using Ajax-enabled helper methods Ruby on Rails provides, such as the link_to_remote helper. It was replaced by jQuery as of Rails 3.1

Many of the Ruby on Rails Ajax-enabled helper methods used to work by using Prototype to perform an Ajax request in older versions of Rails. In most cases Javascript code is returned by the server to be executed by the browser, unlike the usual case where Ajax is used to retrieve data in XML or JSON format.

See also

• Ajax framework
• Web service
• Ajax