Slow browser

[The Little Guy]

1. is there a function that checks if a file has been updated or has changed?

 

2. if not, how can I make it so two people can interact with eachother?

 

on meebo, it know when someone is typing, so it displays the pencil tool next to thier name.

it know when someone has sent a message because then your screen retrieves that message.

 

basically how I do it is I just call the file every 1 second the problem with that is my browser starts to slow down if the page has been open for a period of time. do I need to close the response after using abort()?

 

will that do anything?

[mainewoods]

all applications like that are all 'pull' applications meaning that the browser has to contact the server every so often and check wheither an update has taken place and return it.  The check can take place through an iframe, an activex control, or ajax, but it must be client initiated.  The 'push' model of communication where the server initiates the connection never made it and the 'pull' model is what we are stuck with. 

 

meebo no doubt catches the field being modified with a javascript onfocus event and then sends that message to the server through ajax.  The next time your browser contacts the server it gets that flag and sends it to your browser.

 

All these applications require server side coding also because it maintains the message lists and everything goes through the server before it comes to you.