With the emergence of HTML5, a lot of people are wondering “what does this mean for Flash?” Until now, Flash has really been the only technology available to deliver RIAs (rich internet applications). And to be truthful, no one has been complaining because Adobe has done such a great job with it. As great as Flash had been for us, Google think that it’s time for a new era in web development. The purpose of this post is to define how each of these technologies work, explore the implications of HTML5, and predict how these technologies will evolve in the future.
Archive for the ‘RIAs’ Category
HTML5 Web Sockets Example
Posted on April 30th, 2010
by Eric Rowell
HTML5 Web Sockets will single handedly revolutionize web technologies as we know it. The purpose of this post is to explain what techniques have been used to simulate server push until now, define HTML5 web sockets, and then give an example of how to use it in your HTML5 application.
The Power of AJAX and How to Use It
Posted on March 30th, 2010
by Eric Rowell
Since its conception in 2005, AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) has changed the web world as we know it today. It’s helped websites evolve into RIAs (rich internet applications) by allowing webpages to make direct requests to a web server without reloading the page. This capability is vital in replicating the rich user experiences achieved in client applications. The purpose of this post is to help newcomers understand the different ways that AJAX can be used to create RIAs.
The Evolution of MVC Architecture and the Web
Posted on March 24th, 2010
by Eric Rowell
As the web evolves, so too is our concept of MVC (model view controller) Architecture. As web applications become increasingly complex and interactive, more and more logic is added to the browser side of the application. As a result, web applications are beginning to simulate desktop applications more and more every day. These sorts of applications are called RIAs (rich internet applications) and are going mainstream fast. Javascript is being pushed to its limits, and new RIA technologies like Flash 4 and Silverlight are slowly taking over the web. What’s going on here? MVC architecture is changing as we know it.
Web Apps vs. Client-Server Apps. Which Solution Is Right for You?
Posted on March 10th, 2010
by Eric Rowell
Whether you’re building a software application for fun, designing them for your own small company, or architecting a major system in a corporate setting, it’s important to understand what type of application your next big project is going to be. Should it be a web application (thin client) or a client-server application (thick client)? The purpose of this post is to cover the major differences between each solution, discuss the resulting pros and cons for each, and then formulate a general rule of thumb for determining whether a particular software application should be built as a thin or thick client.