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11-20-2010, 03:10 PM

[eluser]Narkboy[/eluser]
I'm building a e-commerce site for a client who dearly wants "web 2.0" (ironic quotes...) functionality. He mentioned Facebook... Anyway:

In order to work properly with users who don't have JS enabled, the entire site is built without javascript and works just fine. Now to add in the fun stuff - I'm using jQuery, jQuery UI and jQuery Tools.

I want to change some links on the fly so that js users get ajax functionality - for example, a non-js user clicks on 'show cart' and the cart page loads; while a js user click and gets the cart in an overlay.

Using rel="overlay" can direct js users to an ajax request, but if they request the same url as a non-js user they get the entire page, rather than just the relevent part. No point reloading the <head> etc. I can use jQuery to change the href only in a tags with an .ajax class.

Is it better to:

1)

http://www.example.com/shop/show_cart - loads the full page with cart details.
http://www.example.com/shop/ajax_show_cart - loads the cart snippet into an overlay.

The problem is that the js to rewrite these links is a pain. I don't want to work out how to do this for all possible controller / function pairs required.

2)

http://www.example.com/shop/show_cart - full page
http://www.example.com/shop/show_cart/ajax - ajax snip

Problem here is that I'll have to edit all controller functiuons that can deliver via ajax to check for the var. Also, if the function requires / permits additional vars to be passed, then the ajax var will probably have to go last.

3)

http://www.example.com/shop/show_cart - full page
http://www.example.com/ajax/shop/show_cart - ajax snip

This requires an entire new controller set for ajax functions.

4)

Something else?

How does everyone else provide ajax / rich functionality while preserving non-js useability?

Help!