It is working with the Dojo Foundation, an open source group that has developed a framework for handling the infrastructure aspects of JavaScript.
Dojo is used for simplifying Ajax programming. It encapsulates cross-browser features so Ajax programmers don’t have to constantly rewrite them. It also helps in building and manipulating DOM (Document Object Model), the components for storing XML objects that are rendered on a web page.
The extensions contributed by IBM will support internationalization, so Ajax apps using Dojo can be rendered in non-Western languages. Other extensions will support accessibility for persons with disabilities using Dynamic HTML (DHTML) and Accessible widgets. Finally, IBM will extent Dojo’s data model and provide web-based collaboration tools where Ajax developers can share best practices.
In a related development, Ajax tool vendor ICEsoft Technologies Inc has become the newest member of the OpenAjax organization, a newly formed group to add some structure and consistency to the Ajax programming model. The company recently released the first version of its tool, which like the rest of the Ajax crowd, is also available in a free community edition.
