DEWDROP Educating students for the future of web development

1. DEWDROPEducating students for the future of web development John Beidler Computing Sciences, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510 , USAE-mail: beidler@cs.scranton.edu

2. DEWDROP • Background • PNA Project • A Web Development Course • DEWDROP and other courses • Conclusions John Beidler - University of Scranton

3. DEWDROP (Background) • 1997 – First offered as a Special Topics Course • 1998-1999 – Course growth • 2000 – Offered as a regular course, Cmps 356 • 2002 – DEWDROP John Beidler - University of Scranton

4. DEWDROP (Background) • 1997 – First offered as a Special Topics Course • Client side: Javascript emphasis • CGI: Know the standard, use it • Server side: • Resources required • Environmental variables • String processing (Reg. Expr.) • System resources • Call other programs • Access to data representations • Perl (or tcl) emphasized as a convenience John Beidler - University of Scranton

5. DEWDROP (Background) • 1998-1999 – Course growth • Strong reuse emphasis • Javascript libraries • Standardized use of CGI interface • Perl reuse using “require”. • PNA Project • Beginning of web development with OO John Beidler - University of Scranton

6. DEWDROP (Background) • 2000-2001 – Offered as a regular course, Cmps 356 • OO based reuse • 2002 – DEWDROP John Beidler - University of Scranton

7. The PNA Project • Joint project • U. of Scranton – Comp. Sci. • Marywood U. – Dietetics and Nutrition • USDA Nutrition Database • Daily diet analysis • Currently, 1 to 2 hours per day w. dietitian • Goal, < 15 minutes per day w/o dietitian John Beidler - University of Scranton

8. The PNA Project • Web based (www.scranton.edu/pnap) • Client Modules • Daily diet control/analysis • Calorie expenditure • Personal Information • Nutrition Targets • Dietitian/Health care modules John Beidler - University of Scranton

9. The PNA Project • Web based (www.scranton.edu/pnap) • Client Modules • Dietitian/Health care modules • Set client targets • View client diaries • Improved (asynchronous) correspondence via the web and email John Beidler - University of Scranton

10. A Web Development Course • Essential resources required • Environmental variables • String processing • File/directory processing • Resource access • Concept dependence, not programming language dependence. • Using objects to develop a combined client-side, server-side view. John Beidler - University of Scranton

11. A Web Development Course • Low level intro to server side • Base choice on need • RE capable • Associative memory capable • Prefer Perl or tcl • Integrated view • Single resource combining client/server views • PHP is one alternative John Beidler - University of Scranton

12. A Web Development Course • Why Apache/PHP combination • Price – $0.00 • Availability • MS windows • UNIX platforms • Compatibility between platforms John Beidler - University of Scranton

13. A Web Development Course • What about Apache/PHP/database • Apache/PHP/MySQL • Apache/PHP/PostGres John Beidler - University of Scranton

14. DEWDROP and other courses • Web - Network – Database Courses • Chicken and egg problem • Which course is “easier”? More marketable? • Use it to feed the other two • No formal pre/co-requisite structure • The Web course feeds the Network and the Database courses • Web as network protocol • Role of database in web’s future John Beidler - University of Scranton

15. DEWDROP and other courses • The Database course feeds the web course • Use of Java servlets to create a simple (web) front end to databases. • The Network course feeds the web course • See the web from under the hood • Unix/Apache web security • Good – Linux/Apache • Better – FreeBSD/Apache • Best – VMS/Apache John Beidler - University of Scranton

16. DEWDROP and other courses • Is security important? • Sept. 2001 – Code red and nimda virus attacks • U. of Scranton web servers • 3 MS-based, 2 participated, including www.Scranton.edu • 11 unix based, 0 participated John Beidler - University of Scranton

17. Conclusions • If you are teaching HTML, you are not teaching Web Development. • If you are teaching Javascript, you are not teaching Web Development. • If you are teaching Perl, you are not teaching Web Development. • If you are teaching PHP, you are not teaching Web Development. John Beidler - University of Scranton

18. Conclusions • If you are teaching vendor specific resources, you are not teaching Web Development. • If you are teaching ASP, you may get bit by a snake. John Beidler - University of Scranton

19. Conclusions • Web Development must include the basics • Web Development must include standards • Web Development must be recognize patterns • Web Development must be object based • Web Development must be proceed towards using a database John Beidler - University of Scranton

20. Conclusions • Web Development must include security issues – There is no IIS equivalent to SUExec • Web Development must be based on international standards (Apache > 50%) • Web Development must include software reuse John Beidler - University of Scranton

21. Conclusions Database Enhanced Web Development with Reusable Objects and Patterns John Beidler - University of Scranton