We won't learn how to use AJAX with a database?

AJAX is a JavaScript technology, it stands for Asynchronous JavaScript with XML. These days XML has largely been replaced by JSON. JavaScript is a frontend language it doesn't "speak database", it needs content in "language" it does "speak" for example XML or JSON.

So that begs the question, if content needs to already be generated how can you build something cool to show off your snazzy new AJAX skillz? One easy way to do this is to use an API, which is a special kind of program that allows you to programmatically consume content from a site. In the last badge of this course you build a widget using the Flickr API.

If you wanted to use AJAX with your own backend code you'd need to take a look at either the Rails or PHP Tracks to learn how to use that backend language obviously.

It's basically a 3 step process:

• PHP DB Query --> Database --> DB Results
• PHP Formatting --> DB Results --> JSON
• JavaScript AJAX Request --> JSON --> Filtered Updates

further reading

• http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/beginners-guide-to-ajax-development-with-php