AJAX

AJAX is a web techinque to create web applications. The purpose for AJAX is to exchange small amounts of data with the user edting the site so that the web page doesn't have to reload everytime the user requests to change it. This increases the web site's functionality.

(i.e. Ajax achieves "desktop-like" Web pages by having parts of a page reload, instead of the entire page, in response to user input. Instead of whole-page refreshes, small amounts of data are exchanged with the server behind the scenes.)- what makes AJAX-style so unique and efficent is the non-use of plug-in based applications (assuming your using a major browser).