1. Drupal 7 Advanced AJAX
Tips and Tricks

2. Summary
• Non-form related AJAX
• Responding to an AJAX request
• Bind AJAX behavior to a simple link
• In more than one way
• Modify this behavior via javascript
• Modify the AJAX response via javascript
• Use a custom response command
• Perform AJAX on non-traditional events like a
timer.

3. We are skipping #ajax
• This is the basic usage
• Plenty of examples in examples.module
• Too tied to the form id and cache

4. Responding to an AJAX request

5. Drupal’s AJAX Commands
• http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--ajax.inc/group/ajax_commands/7

6. Simplest Example
• <a href="/aajax-example/simple/nojs"
id="aajax-example-1" class="use-ajax">Simple
example</a>
• l(t('Simple example'), 'aajax-
example/simple/nojs', array('attributes' =>
array('id' => 'aajax-example-1', 'class' => 'use-
ajax')))

7. Second verse, same as the first
<a href="/aajax-example/simple/nojs" id="aajax-
example-2" class=“aajax-example use-ajax">Simple
example 2</a>

8. Setting up the AJAX event
• Use Drupal’s behavior
• Bind to a DOM object
• Fill in the element_settings
• Register the Drupal.ajax object

9. Element Settings
Also:
• wrapper

10. Let’s see this again
<a href="/aajax-example/simple/nojs" id="aajax-
example-2" class=“aajax-example use-ajax">Simple
example 2</a>

11. Manipulating the response

12. Custom AJAX Command
Javascript side
PHP Side

13. What about things that are not clicks?

15. Wrapping up
• This framework can integrate into strong
javascript applications.
• Server can be used for storage, rendering and
decision making.
• Client can be more interactive.
• Framework can add additional CSS and
javascript to page automatically.