Appendix A. The Ajax craftsperson’s toolkit
Ajax is a very easy technology to work with. The toolset required to get the job done is minimal, and it is possible to develop complex Ajax applications using nothing more than a web browser, a text editor, and access to a web server—either on your development machine or through your ISP or hosting provider. Nonetheless, tools are important to programmers, and toolsets are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
As yet, there are no dedicated Ajax IDEs, although these will probably appear in time. Several development tools do, however, offer support for some parts of the Ajax development process. In this appendix, we present an overview of the types of tools available and how they can help you to work smarter and faster.
The right development tools can be invaluable in speeding up repetitive or difficult processes, and they can have an enormous impact on a developer’s productivity. The wrong tools can be distracting, gimmicky, and constraining, forcing a project into a particular process or way of doing things that doesn’t really fit. Different tools suit different people and will suit them better or worse on different kinds of projects. It’s arguably a key part of a developer’s job to devote time and effort to finding the right toolset. Abraham Lincoln put it nicely:
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.