Making good websites is not the only thing required in today’s time. These days people also prefer a good user interface. Suppose you create a website that is unfriendly to users and provides a poor user experience. You will only lose your visitors if the website UI is not good or user friendly. In the future, visitors and users may only return to your website if the first impression is the last. So, when you make a new website, you always consider a good user experience.
Here in this blog we are going to talk about XHR also known as XMLHttpRequest. Most modern web browsers have the XMLHttpRequest object built in, which XHR uses to talk to the server and get data. Understanding XHR is important if you want to make dynamic and responsive web apps that meet users’ high expectations.
This blog will discuss “What Does XHR Stand For?” and their features, uses and how it works. Let’s start with us.
What Does XHR Stand For?
Table of Contents
XHR stands for “XMLHttpRequest.” It is an object used to interact with the server, and you can retrieve data from the URL without doing a full page refresh. A browser API allows web developers to send HTTP or HTTPS requests to a server and receive responses from it asynchronously.
The XHR API is a core technology in modern web development, especially in creating dynamic web applications. XHR enables you to update just a part of a page without disturbing the whole page. XHR can request to fetch data in asynchronous or synchronous ways.
Using XHR, web developers can request data from a server, receive a response, and update web page parts without interrupting the user’s experience. For example, if a user clicks a button on a webpage that triggers an XHR request, the page can update with new content without requiring the user to refresh the page manually.
XHR is compatible with all modern web browsers and uses other web technologies like JavaScript, CSS, and HTML to create rich and interactive web applications.
XHR is part of the AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) technique.
XML HTTP Requests (AJAX) allow you to send and receive data from external files within your Javascript code without refreshing the page or re-running your script.
What are the features of XHR?
XHR (XMLHttpRequest) is a powerful tool that provides several features. These features make it a valuable tool for web developers. Some of the key features of XHR include the following:
1. Asynchronous communication:
XHR allows for asynchronous communication with servers. It means other web page parts can continue functioning while the request is being processed, and it can help to faster response times and a good user experience.
2. Support for a wide range of data formats:
XHR supports various data formats, including text, XML, JSON, and others. It makes it a versatile tool for communicating with servers and helps in processing server responses.
3. Cross-browser compatibility:
XHR is supported by all modern web browsers, making it a reliable tool for web developers.
4. Built-in error handling:
XHR provides built-in error handling capabilities. It makes it simpler for developers to identify and address potential communication-related issues.
5. Support for custom headers:
XHR allows adding custom headers to requests. Which gives developers greater control over the communication process.
6. Flexible request methods:
XHR supports a variety of request methods. It includes GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and others, which gives developers the flexibility to choose the best method that suits their needs.
7. Progress tracking:
XHR provides progress-tracking capabilities. It allows developers to track the progress of requests and display progress bars, and It also allows other visual indicators to users.
8. Cross-origin requests:
XHR allows for cross-origin requests. It means that web developers can communicate with servers on different domains.
Overall, the features of XHR make it a powerful tool for web developers looking to create dynamic and responsive web applications. Its supports asynchronous communication, a wide range of data formats, and flexible request methods. XHR is a valuable addition to any web developer’s toolkit.
What is AJAX?
Ajax is a web development technique that helps to create highly responsive, near-desktop software like user experience web applications.
HTML, CSS for representation, JSON/XML/Text for storing Data, XMLHttpRequest Object for action in the background and JavaScript put all this together.
Web pages are updated asynchronously using Ajax by secretly sharing data with a web server. Without having to reload the full page, it allows modifying a section of a website.
Using Ajax, we can create better and faster web applications.
Ajax is not Programming Language.
Examples:
On Type Search
Movie Rating Feature
How Does XHR Work?
XHR uses the XMLHttpRequest object, built into most modern web browsers. Here are the general steps that XHR takes to communicate with a server and retrieve data:
1. Create a new instance of the XMLHttpRequest object: The XMLHttpRequest object is used in most modern web browsers. It can be created using JavaScript by calling the XMLHttpRequest() constructor. It is built into modern browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Bing, etc.
Create an XMLHttpRequest object syntax:
let xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
2. Open a connection to the server: XMLHttpRequest object is used to open a connection to the servers with the help of the open() method. It uses two parameters for that which are (the HTTP method (e.g., GET or POST) and the server URL).
Specify the request method and URL syntax:
xhr.open(method, url);
3. Set optional request headers: When a server requires a new request for XHR. Then XHR sets the additional headers to the servers with the help of the setRequestHeader() method.
Set any request headers syntax:
xhr.setRequestHeader(header, value);
4. Set a callback function to handle the response: Before sending the request to the server, you must set a callback function to handle the response. It can be done using the onreadystatechange property of the XHR object. The function should check the response’s status to ensure its success and perform any necessary actions (e.g., updating the DOM with the response data).
Define a callback function to handle the server response syntax:
xhr.onreadystatechange = function() {
if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {
// handle the response here
}
};
5. Send the request: Once the connection is open and the callback function is set, you can send the request to the server using the send() method. If the request is a POST, you can pass data to the server using the send() method.
Send the request syntax:
xhr.send(data);
6. Wait for the response: After sending the request, the XHR object waits for a response from the server. The onreadystatechange function is called multiple times as the request progresses through different stages, so you should check the readyState property to determine when the response has been fully received.
Check the status of the response syntax:
xhr.status
7. Handle errors: If an error occurs during the XHR request, the onerror function is called. You should handle any errors appropriately, such as displaying an error message to the user.
Handle errors syntax:
xhr.onerror = function() {
// handle error here
};
Overall, XHR allows asynchronous communication with servers, allowing web pages to update content without requiring a full refresh. Following the above steps, web developers can use XHR to create dynamic and responsive web applications.
What are the uses of XHR?
XHR (XMLHttpRequest) is a JavaScript API that makes asynchronous requests to a web server. Here are some common uses of XHR:
- Dynamic content: XHR can fetch data from a server without reloading the entire web page.
- AJAX: XHR is a key component of AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) technology, which allows web applications to update content without reloading the entire page. It can provide a more seamless and responsive user experience.
- Form submission: XHR can submit form data to a server without requiring a full page reload. It is useful for creating forms that allow users to submit data without losing their place on the page.
- Real-time updates: XHR can fetch real-time data from a server, such as updates from a chat room or social media feed.
- Data validation: XHR can validate user input on a form before submitting it to the server. It can help prevent errors and ensure that the data submitted is accurate and complete.
Overall, XHR is a powerful tool that enables web developers to create fast, dynamic, and responsive web applications.
Conclusion
In this blog we have discussed “What Does XHR Stand For.” XHR stands for XMLHttpRequest. A JavaScript API is used to make asynchronous requests to a web server. XHR is an important tool for web developers. XHR remains a powerful and widely used tool for making HTTP requests in JavaScript.
To ensure secure usage of XHR, web developers should be aware of potential security risks and best practices for minimizing those risks.