Automatic Generation of Client-Server Collaborative Web Applications from Diagrams

Abstract

We have designed and implemented Web application generators based on a diagram approach, which is an approach to generating data-intensive Web applications by using diagrams that represent dataflow relationships among Web components. In this paper, we illustrate how to extend the generator systems to generate client-server collaborative Web applications, in which client-side programs collaborate with server-side programs in performing the whole business logic. The clientside programs contribute toward not only reducing the load on Web servers but improving security and session management of the generated application.

Conceptual modeling and code generation for rich internet applications

“…UWE [9] extends Conallen's concept of "client page" in UML deployment diagrams, to specify the distribution of application components, but presently does not address model semantics and code generation for RIA clients. In [15] the authors discuss a system for the generation of "client-server collaborative Web applications" from diagrams: although the described implementation is only server-side and the considered technologies are limited to Java applets and JavaScript, the generated system architecture adheres to the major RIA requirements. The need of modelling techniques for RIAs is advocated in [13], where the authors analyze current Web modeling approaches as well as hypermedia methodologies with respect to RIA development needs.…”

A Web-Based Collaborative System for Remote Monitoring and Analysis of Livestock Farm Odours

“…Therefore, users can upload and process their odour data through Internet web browser. Many web-based applications have been developed in various areas, such as education (Chang et al, 2003;Jackson, 2003;Wang et al, 2004), information technology (Yu et al, 2003;Taguchi and Tokuda, 2005), urban planning (Counsell, 2004;Babar and Gorton, 2004), and environment monitoring (Zeng et al, 2007;Athanasiadia and Mitkas, 2007;Carswell et al, 2008). Yu et al (2003) developed a web-based application for 3D visualization and collaboration to enable production, dissemination and use of 3D imagery and geospatial information on a hierarchical level.…”

“…Counsell (2004) developed a web-based application for collaboration on managing and maintaining large area urban modeling. Taguchi and Tokuda (2005) designed a web application generator to generate data-intensive web applications by using diagrams that represent data-flow relationships among web components. Maglogiannis et al (2006) presented a collaborative web-based application for medical diagnosis over the Internet via peer-to-peer distribution of electronic health records.…”

Comparison of Two Approaches for Automatic Construction of Web Applications: Annotation Approach and Diagram Approach

“…The development of such applications, however, requires much cost and experience of developers because of the complexity of security checks and session management, which are unique to Web applications. In order to support development of consistent and secure Web applications, we have designed a number of Web application generators which generate source codes necessary to execute the application [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Web application generators encapsulate the complexity unique to Web applications and make developers concentrate on the business logic of the application.…”

“…And then the generator generates procedural program codes from Web page templates with annotations. The second is diagram approach, which concentrates on data-flow relationships in the application [3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Developers first compose diagrams which describe overall dataflow relationships among Web components such as Web page templates, server side programs and databases.…”