Currently we only use one IDE for all our development at work and that is Eclipse. JavaScript can be edited in Eclipse along with the Java, JSP and JSF for the web servlet that will service your AJAX application.
For testing and debugging we use the Firefox browser with the add-on extensions of the Venkman JavaScript Debugger, JavaScript Console and the DOM inspector.
This is simple, standard, and free. I have not tried any of the new AJAX frameworks or IDEs and I really don't expect to in the near future. There may come a point where we will look at something like a JSF tag library that incorporates AJAX or AJAX support, but for now, the application that we deliver to the browser is so complex and so highly user-customizable that we are better off without any constraints that an AJAX IDE or framework might impose.
As for learning JavaScript and AJAX, I would recommend what most Java books recommend: don't use an IDE at all. Write your JavaScript and probably your JSF and any HTML in a plain text editor like notepad, emacs or even vi. Its a bit laborious, but you will learn more and retain more this way.
Because it is not possible - yet. JSF does currently not offer a generic support for AJAX, and although it is possible to use JSF with Java components only, there is no implementation available right now.
We believe that the core achievement of JSF is its Lifecyle handling. W4T lifecycle handling is very closely aligned with the JSF lifecycle handling, and it will be possible to move to JSF in the future.
I am a fan of text editors as well my favorite is Kate (KDE Advanced Text Editor), but I also work a day job and help people that thing computer programs are made a certain strange way namely the way a Hollywood movie would show someone getting access to very secret information - for 5 seconds and 10 key fast strokes, not more, after it is computers the guy is not good looking and has nothing to say but some stuff we have to translate to human speach anyway (director: "...you said what USB??? - oh-hoho please stick to the script - round flexible plugger)...
I was going to say, before I diverged, that I have tried, not in production yet, Sun's Creator and it is really nice, still needs some work to flesh out some strange stuff but is very promsing and will help keep the illusions of some users, that everything takes just five minutes . It also has some ajax controls and their advice on moderation of use is good too.
regards, george
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