Rich Internet Applications Development - Research Paper Example

Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 2- Rich Internet Applications 3 According to (Deitel & Deitel, 2008, p. 32) and (Thomas, 2008), Rich Internet Applications are web based tools of applications that present the responsiveness “rich” characteristics and functionality approaching that of desktop applications. The best examples of RIA are e-commerce web sites. 4 4- Why RIA? 4 RIAs presents organizations a confirmed, gainful technique to distribute up to date applications with authentic business benefits 5 Presents users a richer as well as more involving practice 5 Keep pace with users changing or increasing requirements 5 Augment clients’ practicality and produce higher profits 5 Influence existing workers, actions, and infrastructure 5 5- How RIA? 5 5.1- How Rich Internet applications can facilitate? 5 A rich Internet application (RIA) is a web application developed to deliver the similar characteristics and tasks that are offered by desktop applications (TechTarget, 2007). RIAs normally divide the functions athwart the Internet/network split by positioning the user interface and associated action and ability on the client side, and the data handling and process on the application server side (TechTarget, 2007). An RIA generally works within a web browser and typically does not have need of software installation on the client side to carry out its functionality. On the other hand, a number of RIAs may only carry out its actions appropriately with one or more definite browsers. For security reasons, the majority RIAs work their client portions inside a particular inaccessible area of the client desktop acknowledged as a sandbox (TechTarget, 2007). The sandbox confines visibility and right of entry to the file as well as operating system on the client to the application server on the other part of the link. This method facilitates the client system to manage limited actions, computations, reformatting, and many more, in this manner diminishing the quantity and frequency of client-server traffic, in particular in opposition to the client-server accomplishment put together around supposed thin clients (TechTarget, 2007). One distinctive characteristic of an RIA (in opposition to other Web-based applications) is the client engine that works as an intermediate between the user and the application server (TechTarget, 2007). The client engine downloads when the RIA establishes. The engine can be enlarged throughout following process with extra downloads in which the engine performs as a browser extension to manage the user interface and server communications (TechTarget, 2007) 5 5.2- How Rich Internet Applications advantageous to business? 6 5.3- How RIA is developed? 7 5.3.1- Adobe 7 5.3.2- Microsoft Silverlight 8 6- Conclusion 8 7- Bibliography 9 1- Introduction Rich Internet Application (RIA) is a new model of modern technology that describes a new type of application linked with the Internet cloud and client. The main idea behind the development of this model is to solve the “rich versus reach” conundrum, facilitating Internet implementation and applications to be mutually rich in functionality as well as holding to use, yet able to take full benefit of the Internet’s connectivity, reach and deployment model. Rich Internet Applications are similar to the desktop applications. Also, they are designed to offer similar functions or features that are offered by desktop applications (Bozzon, Comai, Fraternali, & Carughi, 2006) and (Fukuda & Yamamoto, 2008). This research will provide a detailed analysis of the RIA technology. This paper will highlight the Rich Internet Application, what it is? Why it is developed and how it can be used? 2- Rich Internet Applications With the passage of time the Internet has turned out to be the fundamental platform for building an extensive range of incorporated business solutions. For the reason that the, growing complication of these applications, modern Web technologies are beginning to demonstrate usability and interactivity limitations (Bozzon, Comai, Fraternali, & Carughi, 2006). According to Cekvenich (2009), Rich Internet Applications are web based applications that incorporate the common features of desktop based applications. There are numerous tools for developing Rich Internet Applications frameworks that comprise Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, Java, Curl, AIR and Microsoft Silverligh (Fukuda & Yamamoto, 2008) and (Lawton, 2008).. What is Rich Internet Application? According to (Deitel & Deitel, 2008, p. 32) and (Thomas, 2008), Rich Internet Applications are web based tools of applications that present the responsiveness “rich” characteristics and functionality approaching that of desktop applications. The best examples of RIA are e-commerce web sites. 4- Why RIA? It is an important question that why RIA? Or why it is developed? Or why it is used? We can answer these questions as; in modern comprehensive business atmosphere, where handling customers is more challenging than ever and brand reliability is more and more complicated to accomplish, yawning customer commitment is essential to a company’s accomplishment. RIAs can build customer interactions convincing, energetic, and purposeful, in a word, involving business executives more and more identify the worth customer involvement carries to their businesses (Adobe, 2009). For instance, in a most recent research on participation or engagement carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Adobe, 80% of executives declared that superior engagement interprets into superior customer devotion, and 75% confirmed they assume it as elevated profits (Adobe, 2009). Engagement is also significant to changing customers into energetic promoters for brands and businesses; 79% of candidates acknowledged that engaged customers will advocate products and services to others (Adobe, 2009). Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) present a rich, involving familiarity that builds user requirements and augments efficiency. Making use of the extensive reach of the Internet, RIAs can be organized by browsers and desktops. Uses which RIAs offer include (Adobe, 2009) RIAs presents organizations a confirmed, gainful technique to distribute up to date applications with authentic business benefits Presents users a richer as well as more involving practice Keep pace with users changing or increasing requirements Augment clients’ practicality and produce higher profits Influence existing workers, actions, and infrastructure 5- How RIA? It is an important question how Rich Internet Applications can be used or how Rich Internet applications can offer different advantages? 5.1- How Rich Internet applications can facilitate? A rich Internet application (RIA) is a web application developed to deliver the similar characteristics and tasks that are offered by desktop applications (TechTarget, 2007). RIAs normally divide the functions athwart the Internet/network split by positioning the user interface and associated action and ability on the client side, and the data handling and process on the application server side (TechTarget, 2007). An RIA generally works within a web browser and typically does not have need of software installation on the client side to carry out its functionality. On the other hand, a number of RIAs may only carry out its actions appropriately with one or more definite browsers. For security reasons, the majority RIAs work their client portions inside a particular inaccessible area of the client desktop acknowledged as a sandbox (TechTarget, 2007). The sandbox confines visibility and right of entry to the file as well as operating system on the client to the application server on the other part of the link. This method facilitates the client system to manage limited actions, computations, reformatting, and many more, in this manner diminishing the quantity and frequency of client-server traffic, in particular in opposition to the client-server accomplishment put together around supposed thin clients (TechTarget, 2007). One distinctive characteristic of an RIA (in opposition to other Web-based applications) is the client engine that works as an intermediate between the user and the application server (TechTarget, 2007). The client engine downloads when the RIA establishes. The engine can be enlarged throughout following process with extra downloads in which the engine performs as a browser extension to manage the user interface and server communications (TechTarget, 2007) 5.2- How Rich Internet Applications advantageous to business? The research carried out by Forrester which was published in March 2007, "The Business Case for Rich Internet Applications," is a report that is based on interviews with RIA technology presenters and designers, in addition to Forrester Research clients and customers. The report discovered that "ingenious RIAs can turn out eye-popping outcomes that can facilitate demonstrate the worth of existing investments and formulate the case for prospect RIA projects (Adobe, 2009). According to the results of that report, "organizations that determine the business influence of their RIAs declare that rich applications congregate or go beyond their goals” (Adobe, 2009). Particular results illustrate that enhanced user-friendliness for customer-facing RIAs "constrains superior exchange rates and order size. Additional shoppers exchange to buyers when they can with no trouble trade off product choices and expenses in instantaneous (Adobe, 2009). And for the reason that of greater than before effortlessness of carrying out complicated orders online, smaller amount customers resign” (Adobe, 2009). Furthermore, the capability for RIAs to incorporate rich media pays dividends. Rich media helps boost margins. RIAs not only enable better configurations, they also permit organizations to set in video and additional contextual help content into applications. Businesses or organizations that make use of these types of helpful characteristics exchange at a higher rate than those that dont" (Adobe, 2009). 5.3- How RIA is developed? There are different tools available in the market for the development of Rich Internet Applications. This section is aimed at providing a deep insight into the different available technologies or tools used for the development of RIAs. At the present time, business atmosphere, where clients are additional demanding than ever as well as product dependability is more and more intricate to acquire, deeper client commitment is essential to an association’s accomplishment. Rich Internet Applications will be able to construct client contacts dynamic, compelling as well as functional in a word, appealing (Adobe, 2009). 5.3.1- Adobe Adobe is one of most famous RIAs development tool. Kaminski (2005) outlined about the Adobe that has launched their PostScript which is based on PDF in view of the fact that a de-facto set for produced e-documents in positions wherever the variability of HTML is not essentially advantageous, since when soft proofing a file intended for production or else when handling out credentials comparable to cheerful results where textual reliability is principals (Kaminski, 2005). On the other hand there’s a different group of documents where Adobe has not been consequently flourishing: website form needs data entry. As PDF works fine for print as well as whole approach forms, Adobe has not a great deal accomplishment encouraging associations that desire to have beneficiaries absolutely as well as propose forms online. Authenticity to notify, no one retailer actually has: although it is not for to be short of annoying (Kaminski, 2005). Sommers (2008) states about the Adobe based RIA as it is plausible that if we are web developers as well as we achieve this, or else if Adobe were to deal out this dynamic scripting attachment that internet explorer would be capable to hold up JavaScript in the course of the Flash Player. It would not require having resident hold up for JavaScript 2; it would obtain it straight away to open for the reason that Flash is extensively circulated. At the present time, we don’t be acquainted by means of if Adobe will carry out that (Sommers, 2008). 5.3.2- Microsoft Silverlight Microsoft Silverlight is new development and released application for the RIA technology development. MS Silverlight is a web system RIA development application structure by means of an assortment comparable to Adobe Flash. A free of charge rich application development software execution acknowledged as Moonlight, which is developed by Novell in partnership with Microsoft, is accessible to carry well-matched working and performance to Linux (Microsoft, 2009). 6- Conclusion RIAs (Rich Internet Applications) are web based applications that present the responsiveness, characteristics, and functions similar to desktop applications. RIAs normally move the operations required for the user interface to the Web client however maintain the bulk of the data back on the application server. This paper has presented a detailed overview of Rich Internet Applications technology. In this research I have investigated this technology using what, how and why approach. In this paper I have discussed the basic technology of RIA, its main benefits, and tools used for the development of this technology. This research assessment has also discussed two most prevalent technologies for the Rich Internet Applications. I have analyzed the main development technologies such as Adobe and Microsoft’s Silverlight. I hope this will offer a better insight into the technology of the RIA and associated areas of the technology. 7- Bibliography 1. Adobe. 2009. Benefits of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). Available at: http://www.adobe.com/resources/business/rich_internet_apps/benefits/# [Accessed 15 November 2009]. 2. Bozzon, A., Comai, S., Fraternali, P., & Carughi, G. T., 2006. Capturing RIA Concepts in a Web Modeling Language. International World Wide Web Conference Proceedings of the 15th international conference on World Wide Web (pp. 907-908). Edinburgh, Scotland : ACM New York, NY, USA . 3. Cekvenich, V. 2004. Rich Internet Applications. Available at: http://www.theserverside.com/tt/articles/article.tss?l=RiA [Accessed 15 November 2009]. 4. Deitel, P. J., & Deitel, H. M. 2008. AJAX, Rich Internet Applications, and Web Development for Programmers, 1st Edition. London: Prentice-Hall PTR. 5. Fukuda, H., & Yamamoto, Y., (2008). A System for Supporting Development of Large Scaled Rich Internet Applications. 23rd IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (pp. 459-462). LAquila, Italy: IEEE Computer Society Washington, DC, USA. 6. Kaminski, C., (2005, April 19). Adobe, ‘Rich Internet Applications’ and Standards. Availaable at: http://www.webstandards.org/2005/04/19/adobe-rich-internet-applications-and-standards/ [Accessed 15 November 2009]. 7. Lawton, G., 2008. New Ways to Build Rich Internet Applications. Computer 41( 8 ), pp. 10-12. 8. Microsoft. (2009). Sample Source Code for Silverlight 2 Runtime and SDK Controls. Available at: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=EB83ED4C-AC85-4DE9-8395-285628EE2254&displaylang=en [Accessed 15 November 2009]. 9. Sommers, F. (2008, June 26). Rich Internet Applications: VM Runtimes or Browser Standards? Available at: http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=233654 [Accessed 15 November 2009] 10. TechTarget. (2007, September 25). What is Rich Internet Application (RIA)? Availaable at: http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid26_gci1273937,00.html [Accessed 15 November 2009] 11. Thomas, J. 2008. Rich Internet Applications (RIA): AJAX, Ruby on Rails, and PHP: tutorial presentation . Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges , 23(6), pp. 164-164. Read More