Before you begin your Ajax adventure, you should be aware that—because of the JavaScript security model—most of the examples in this chapter require a web server or a local host web server installed on your computer for you to get the examples to work.
If you have a remote web hosting account, you should upload your files through FTP in a location where you can test it.
If you don't have a web server available, it's quite easy to install one on your computer. Some notable web server packages include WAMP and XAMPP.
On my site, you can find a step-by-step tutorial on installing XAMPP which you can read and review to get you up and running in no time. What's great about XAMPP is that it is one of the few tools you can use that is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux operating systems.