Evaluation and comparison of ajax frameworks regarding applicability, productivity and technical limitations

The rapidly growing popularity of Ajax has led to the publication of numerous frameworks in the last years. Not only big companies but also small development teams have developed their own Ajax frameworks or libraries. Consequently, finding the best framework for a specific project can be difficult and time-consuming. This thesis compares three of the most popular Ajax frameworks in order to facilitate the technology selection process.

The evaluation was carried out by implementing a tracking system for public transportation with particular focus on the applicability, productivity and technical limitations of each framework and Ajax in general. In addition, this thesis presents a general approach for the evaluation of arbitrary Ajax frameworks and points out particular issues that should be given special consideration when applying Ajax initially. The thesis concludes with a brief analysis of trends that may be relevant to the future development of Ajax.