Animated Load Image Time Saver
Every developer looks for ways to save time and do things more efficiently, and I am no exception. That’s why I wanted to post about a service that I find myself using frequently, particularly with the rise of Ajax forms and other user interface demands, which save me quite a bit of time– AjaxLoad.info. AjaxLoad is an example, at least in my mind, of a web service that fills a niche very well. In this case the niche is the need to create animated GIF images that serve as loader icons for Ajax forms.
You see them more and more now on the web, especially now that Ajax forms are becoming more of the standard than the exception. Animated GIF images such as the spinning clock face, or the horizontal load bar, became somewhat of an expected interface item a few years ago when large sized flash sites came on the scene. Showing a user an icon to keep them occupied while a load is occurring, or to simply communicate that some sort of processing is happening, can go a long way towards usability. The problem for developers and site designers is that animated GIF images can be laborious to create, especially when you have to create a custom load icon for each project that you are working on.
