Can AJAX Directly Call PHP Functions?

AJAX Requests for PHP Functions

It's a common practice to send AJAX requests to separate PHP files for processing. However, a different approach is possible: creating AJAX requests that directly call PHP functions instead.

Contrary to popular belief, AJAX technologies like jQuery cannot directly invoke PHP functions. This is due to the architectural separation between client and server machines. Client and server codes communicate through HTTP requests and responses.

In order to make AJAX requests that call PHP functions, a handler on the server side is required. This handler will receive requests, process them, and execute the appropriate PHP functions.

An example of a PHP handler that can serve as the intermediary is presented:

// ajax_handler.php
switch ($_POST['action']) {
    case 'post_comment':
        post_comment($_POST['content']);
        break;
    case '....':
        some_function();
        break;
    default:
        output_error('invalid request');
        break;
}

Client-side AJAX requests would then be sent to this central handler. The handler would dispatch the requests to the appropriate PHP functions and return the desired responses.

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