Producing Rich Internet Applications with an Open Source

Producing Rich Internet Applications with an Open Source Platform Martin Cadirola Ecotronics 10/7/2020 1

What is a RIA? • Next generation web-based front-end environment • Improved user experience • No refreshes, one page interactivity • Can be deployed as desktop or server application • Applications include: 10/7/2020 • Marketing: brand reinforcement product interactivity better conversions! • Science: data visualization educational outreach real-time information delivery more 2

How to produce RIA? 1. MM Flash-based front end interacting with application servers Pros: powerful Action. Script language Cons: know-how, skills 2. Macromedia Flex platform, RIA development tool Pros: doesn’t require expertise in Action. Script Cons: targeted to organization with moderate budgets How could we develop prototypes, enhance user experience win new project proposals with a better tool? Could we leverage open source in some way? 10/7/2020 3

The Open Source World • The open source paradigm shifts the software business model to training, support and consulting services • If the know-how is available, open source software generally allows software production at lower costs • Open Source software is a growing trend that should be explored; excellent software available • Laszlo Systems, California, released their RIA platform development to the open source community: Open. Laszlo 3. 0 10/7/2020 4

Laszlo Systems: The Platform • Laszlo Systems, California, released their RIA platform development to the open source community: Open. Laszlo 3. 0 • Open. Laszlo is a Java-based software, XML-based markup w/extensible tags and object oriented features; uses Javascript • It’s application server independent: PHP, CF, ASP, . NET, Java, etc • New on version 3. 0 • Solo vs server deployment • Drawing API, dynamic libraries • Unicode support • Performance optimization • Eclipse IDE plug-in 10/7/2020 5

Laszlo Systems: Examples • Examples • Calendar/Weather • Dashboard • Amazon store • Case studies • Behr • Yahoo • Earthlink Mail demo 10/7/2020 6

Installing Open. Laszlo 1. Install Java SDK 5. 0. JDK 5. 0 Update 3 (56 Mb) 2. Set JAVA_HOME environment variable 3. Install Eclipse SDK 3. 0. 2 (88 Mb) 4. Install Open. Laszlo binary (107 Mb) 5. Download IDE 4 LASZLO (19 Mb) and install into Eclipse 10/7/2020 7

Running Open. Laszlo 1. Hello World 2. Components 3. Applications • Guest. Blox 4. Where’s more? • Learn Laszlo in 10 minutes on Laszlo’s web site http: //www. laszlosystems. com/lps/laszlo-in-ten-minutes/ 10/7/2020 8

Examples: Guest. Blox • Form writes data to a file with some syntax • CF template transforms file into XML format, following Laszlo syntax • Laszlo file (. lzx) creates datasources and interface • Server compiles. lzx and creates a. lzo and html with embedded code http: //www. openlaszlo. org/wiki/Guest. Blox 10/7/2020 9

Summary • Inexpensive way of implementing full-scale and prototype RIAs • Platform can use any application server (that includes Coldfusion!) • Empower developers to create new applications, propose exciting new projects and take web development to the next level! As Jeff Bezos says on Internet business and applications. . . "What you see today, is just the tip of the iceberg. " 10/7/2020 10

RIA & Laszlo resources http: //www. laszlosystems. com http: //www. openlaszlo. org/wiki http: //www. mylaszlo. com http: //www. blogblox. com http: //alphaworks. ibm. com/tech/ide 4 laszlo/ http: //www. eclipse. org http: //www. macromedia. com/devnet/mx/coldfusion/articles/xmlxslt. pdf http: //www. sourceforge. org 10/7/2020 11

Q&A 10/7/2020 12

More questions? Contact Martin Cadirola martin[at]ecotronics[dot]com 301. 591. 1706 10/7/2020 13