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Producing Rich Internet Applications with an Open Source Platform Martin Cadirola Ecotronics. 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
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Producing Rich Internet Applications with an Open Source Platform Martin Cadirola Ecotronics
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: • Marketing: brand reinforcement • product interactivity • better conversions! • Science: data visualization • educational outreach • real-time information delivery more
How to produce RIA? • MM Flash-based front end interacting with application servers • Pros: powerful ActionScript language • Cons: know-how, skills • 2. Macromedia Flex platform, RIA development tool • Pros: doesn’t require expertise in ActionScript • 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?
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 are available • Laszlo Systems, California, released their RIA platform development to • the open source community: OpenLaszlo 3.0
Laszlo Systems: The Platform • Laszlo Systems, California, released their RIA platform development to • the open source community: OpenLaszlo 3.0 • OpenLaszlo 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
Laszlo Systems: Examples • Examples • Calendar/Weather • Dashboard • Amazon store • Case studies • Behr • Yahoo • Earthlink Mail demo
Installing OpenLaszlo • Install Java SDK 5.0. JDK5.0 Update 3 (56 Mb) • Set JAVA_HOME environment variable • Install Eclipse SDK 3.0.2 (88 Mb) • Install OpenLaszlo binary (107 Mb) • Download IDE4LASZLO (19 Mb) and install into Eclipse
Running OpenLaszlo • Hello World • Components • Applications • GuestBlox • Where’s more? • Learn Laszlo in 10 minutes on Laszlo’s web site • http://www.laszlosystems.com/lps/laszlo-in-ten-minutes/
Examples: GuestBlox • 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/GuestBlox
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."
RIA & Laszlo resources http://www.laszlosystems.com http://www.openlaszlo.org http://www.openlaszlo.org/wiki http://www.mylaszlo.com http://www.blogblox.com http://alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/ide4laszlo/ http://www.eclipse.org http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/mx/coldfusion/articles/xmlxslt.pdf http://www.sourceforge.org
More questions? Contact Martin Cadirola martin[at]ecotronics[dot]com 301.591.1706