Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Image source: www.java.sun.com
Creating web applications is as complex as writing a thesis paper or a dissertation. It does not only necessitate quite a tedious amount of effort to perfect the function of the program but also demands one stable thing from the user: internet association.
Whenever a program is being written, it takes several factors in deliberation but the most important of them is the user-interface. It is imperative that the application’s interface is easy to understand, lest it will not be used as it was intended to be so.
Using a atypical office text created raises an issue on standards compliance, moving the evasive issue of file partaking and association. What must be noticed is that these browser applications are used by accessing the internet through the remote servers. It is threatening however, for the document, if the connection is suddenly lost or interrupted. Chances are, the document being programmed online will be lost and inferior, irretrievable.
This kind of disadvantage poses a threat to the survival of the web applications, hence, companies such as Google have made preliminary solutions to this problem. However, for now, only prototypes have been developed to repress the threat raised by this problem. Just like so, Google has created Google Gears—a beta display place that aims to improve the usability of web applications.
Web application, or webapp, in software engineering is an application which is accessed via Web over a network, like an intranet or the Internet. Also, it is a computer software application that has been coded in a browser-supported language (like ASP, HTML, Perl, PHP, etc.). It is reliant on a common web browser to enable the application to become executable.
Because of the ubiquity of a client, web applications have become very popular, sometimes they are called “a thin client”. One other key reason for their popularity is the ability to update and maintain the Web applications without the need to distribute and install software on potentially thousands of client computers. Some of the most common Web applications are Webmail, online auctions, online retail sales, discussion boards, wikis, MMORPGs, Weblogs, and many other functions.
One major difference of web application use from traditional application use is the inherent delays in navigating from one web application page to another. These delays are typically caused by network traffic and computation. It takes more time to serve the pages to the browser if the web server is on a distant network and computing data (calculations, data-sorting, etc.) also prolongs the waiting time for web application users. Fortunately, there are some ways through which users can lessen the delays which specifically result from working on a public network:
• Control the infrastructure by making an intranet rather than using the public internet.
• Using smaller graphics and lesser pages can minimize page loading time.
• Reduces errors and overall task time by making navigation easier and clearer.
Staying connected with people is one distinctive characteristic of this generation. With mobile phones and computers everywhere, there’s no reason for someone to not get involved in other people’s lives. And this is where instant messaging comes in, people wanting to be constantly connected with each other. Hence, it’s no wonder that
Meebo became such a huge hit by offering instant messeging service to users through multiple instant messaging platforms. Whether you’re using a public computer or your mobile phone, you can now access AOL’s AIM, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger through
Meebo.com. The good thing with
Meebo is that it automatically saves your message history so that you can still check your previous conversations. Overall,
Meebo is an easy way to keep updated with the latest news on your buddies.
Knowing the difference between the application and the browser can greatly aid users in easy Web navigation. Always remember that the browser is the one which displays the data on each page and that a back button is normally found in it. This button, when clicked, re-displays the pages, but it does not mean that the current state of the application is being reversed. Likewise, clicking the Forward button is also not the same with having to do a Redo command on the application. Hence, users must be provided with links or toolbars and menus within the application to allow them to easily navigate according to the task they need to perform.
Nothing beats a customized home page uniquely arranged to include everything that one wants to immediately see once they log in. A customized home page makes you feel like everything you need to see right away is easily accessible with just one click. Using
Netvibes as your startpage, you can now customize your homepage to include Atom/RSS feeds, multiple search engines, to-do notes, email, local weather forecasts, a calendar, a word processor and many more. You can also choose the way your
Netvibes page looks like by uploading your own design or by choosing from available themes. Since its launch on September 15, 2005,
Netvibes has become one of the most popular personalized homepage, being translated in different languages.
Web applications are normally more complicated than desktop applications and users can easily get lost in the huge amount of information displayed to them. Luckily, there are ways in which web applications can be structured to help easy navigation:
• Arrange information - Try linking all pages on the site to each other and provide links to important information on your site.
• Use navigational aids - A clear and consistent page design can help users track where they are and where they can go from their current location.
• Create a unique URL for each page - A unique URL for each page lessens the hassle of losing unsaved data caused by reloading pages.
• Use hypertext indexes and help systems - This can help users manage tasks by giving them quick access to information and help guides.
Project management is no easy task and it usually involves a lot of managing, coordinating and synchronizing of tasks, people and schedules. With all the worries, wouldn’t it be great if there would be a software that can help us in this stressful job?
Basecamp, an online project management software, actually can do that for you: creating, managing and communicating files, tasks and other to-do lists. Launched in February 2004 by 37 Signals and claimed as one of the easiest project management tools out there,
Basecamp lets users easily create a new project which can include Messages, Files, To-Do’s, People and Milestones. You can try out the introductory plan for free which lets you create one project (no file uploads) while those who want to explore other features of
Basecamp can choose from their different plans ranging from $19-$59 per month.
1. Provide a Query Interface - One of the basic functions of web applications is to provide users with an interface for inputting data. The data is termed as a “query” or a “request” because this user-defined data is used to ask or make a request from a service on the web server machine.
2. Transmit User-Defined Query - The user-data is sent to a web server once it is received.
3. Perform Server Side Processing - The web server processes the user-data which it has received through a “middleware”.
4. Massage Data - The user-defined request indicates how the data should be processed.
5. Transmit Query Results - The processed data is now sent back to the client
6. Perform Client Side Processing - The sent data is displayed to the user.
I am definitely certain that a lot of you Web users out there have also experienced problems with sending large files to other people due to restriction by email attachment size limits. Here we are, worrying about how can we get this 10MB plus worth of information across the WWW. Lucky for us there’s
DropSend, a web application which lets users email and even store files online. Under Carson Systems,
DropSend prides itself of its user-friendly web interface, allowing users to experience hassle-free file transfer. The free version even lets you send files up to 1GB which is a whopping difference from other file send applications that usually send files worth 100MB. So the next time you’re thinking of sending that really huge file to someone, try registering at
DropSend and let it do all the work for you.