Survey of Technologies for Web Application Development

Web-based application developers face a dizzying array of platforms, languages, frameworks and technical artifacts to choose from. We survey, classify, and compare technologies supporting Web application development. The classification is based on (1) foundational technologies; (2)integration with other information sources; and (3) dynamic content generation. We further survey and classify software engineering techniques and tools that have been adopted from traditional programming into Web programming. We conclude that, although the infrastructure problems of the Web have largely been solved, the cacophony of technologies for Web-based applications reflects the lack of a solid model tailored for this domain.Comment: 43 page

An Engineering Method for Adaptive, Context-aware Web Applications

Users of Web-based software encounter growing complexity of the software resulting from the increasing amount of information and service offering. As a consequence, the likelihood that users employ the software in a manner compatible with the provider's interest decreases. Depending on the purpose of the Web application, a provider's goal can be to guide and influence user choices in information and service selection, or to assure user productivity. An approach at addressing these goals is to adapt the software's behavior during operation to the context in which it is being used. The term context-awareness originates in mobile computing, where research projects have studied context recognition and adaptation in specific scenarios. Context-awareness is now being studied in a variety of systems, including Web applications. However, how to account for context in a Web Engineering process is not yet established, nor is a generic means of using context in a Web software architecture. This dissertation addresses the question of how context-awareness can be applied in a general-purpose, systematic process for Web application development: that is, in a Web Engineering process. A model for representing an application's context factors in ontologies is presented. A general-purpose methodology for Web Engineering is extended to account for context, by putting in relation context ontologies with elements of the application domain. The application model is extended with adaptation specifications, defining at which places in the application adaptation to context is to occur, and according to what strategy. Application and context models are system interpretable, in order to support automatic adaptation of a system's behavior during its operation, that is, consequently to user requests. Requirements for a corresponding Web software architecture for context are established first at the conceptual level, then specifically in a content-based architecture based on an XML stack. The CATWALK software framework, an implementation of an architecture enabling adaptation to context is described. The framework provides mechanisms for interpreting application and context models to generate an adaptive application, meaning to generate responses to user requests, where the generation process makes decisions based on context information. For this purpose, the framework contains default implementations for context recognition and adaptation mechanisms. The approach presented supports a model-based development of Web applications which adapt to context. The CATWALK framework is an mplementation for model interpretation in a run-time system and thus simplifies the development of Web applications which adapt to context. As the framework is component-based and follows a strict separation of concerns, the default mechanisms can be extended or replaced, allowing to reduce the amount of custom code required to implement specific context-aware Web applications or to study alternative context inference or adaptation strategies. The use of the framework is illustrated in a case study, in which models are defined for a prototypical application, and this application is generated by the framework. The purpose of the case study is to illustrate effects of adaptation to context, based on context description and adaptation specifications in the application model

Sharing Semantic Resources

The Semantic Web is an extension of the current Web in which information, so far created for human consumption, becomes machine readable, “enabling computers and people to work in cooperation”. To turn into reality this vision several challenges are still open among which the most important is to share meaning formally represented with ontologies or more generally with semantic resources. This Semantic Web long-term goal has many convergences with the activities in the field of Human Language Technology and in particular in the development of Natural Language Processing applications where there is a great need of multilingual lexical resources. For instance, one of the most important lexical resources, WordNet, is also commonly regarded and used as an ontology. Nowadays, another important phenomenon is represented by the explosion of social collaboration, and Wikipedia, the largest encyclopedia in the world, is object of research as an up to date omni comprehensive semantic resource. The main topic of this thesis is the management and exploitation of semantic resources in a collaborative way, trying to use the already available resources as Wikipedia and Wordnet. This work presents a general environment able to turn into reality the vision of shared and distributed semantic resources and describes a distributed three-layer architecture to enable a rapid prototyping of cooperative applications for developing semantic resources

XATA 2006: XML: aplicações e tecnologias associadas

Esta é a quarta conferência sobre XML e Tecnologias Associadas. Este evento tem-se tornado um ponto de encontro para quem se interessa pela temática e tem sido engraçado observar que os participantes gostam e tentam voltar nos anos posteriores. O grupo base de trabalho, a comissão científica, também tem vindo a ser alargada e todos os que têm colaborado com vontade e com uma qualidade crescente ano após ano. Pela quarta vez estou a redigir este prefácio e não consigo evitar a redacção de uma descrição da evolução da XATA ao longo destes quatro anos: 2003 Nesta "reunião", houve uma vintena de trabalhos submetidos, maioritariamente da autoria ou da supervisão dos membros que integravam a comissão organizadora o que não envalidou uma grande participação e acesas discussões. 2004 Houve uma participação mais forte da comunidade portuguesa mas ainda com números pouco expressivos. Nesta altura, apostou-se também numa forte participação da indústria, o que se traduziu num conjunto apreciável de apresentações de casos reais. Foi introduzido o processo de revisão formal dos trabalhos submetidos. 2005 Houve uma forte adesão nacional e internacional (Espanha e Brasil, o que para um evento onde se pretende privilegiar a língua portuguesa é ainda mais significativo). A distribuição geográfica em Portugal também aumentou, havendo mais instituições participantes. Automatizaram-se várias tarefas como o processo de submissão e de revisão de artigos. 2006 Nesta edição actual, e contrariamente ao que acontece no plano nacional, houve um crescimento significativo. Em todas as edições, tem sido objectivo da comissão organizadora, previlegiar a produção científica e dar voz ao máximo número de participantes. Nesse sentido, este ano, não haverá oradores convidados, sendo o programa integralmente preenchido com as apresentações dos trabalhos seleccionados. Apesar disso ainda houve uma taxa significativa de rejeições, principalmente devido ao elevado número de submissões. Foi introduzido também, nesta edição, um dia de tutoriais com o objectivo de fornecer competências mínimas a quem quer começar a trabalhar na área e também poder assistir de uma forma mais informada à conferência. Se analisarmos as temáticas, abordadas nas quatro conferências, percebemos que também aqui há uma evolução no sentido de uma maior maturidade. Enquanto que no primeiro encontro, os trabalhos abordavam problemas emergentes na utilização da tecnologia, no segundo encontro a grande incidência foi nos Web Services, uma nova tecnologia baseada em XML, no terceiro, a maior incidência foi na construção de repositórios, motores de pesquisa e linguagens de interrogação, nesta quarta edição há uma distribuição quase homogénea por todas as áreas temáticas tendo mesmo aparecido trabalhos que abordam aspectos científicos e tecnológicos da base da tecnologia XML. Desta forma, podemos concluir que a tecnologia sob o ponto de vista de utilização e aplicação está dominada e que a comunidade portuguesa começa a fazer contributos para a ciência de base.Microsoft

Design of Theoretical Framework: Global and Local Parameters Requirements for Libraries

Library is one of the important aspect in modern reading environment. Theoretical framework is an inevitable and indispensable for each and every library in the field of automated and digital library system. In this original research paper all the parameters have selected on the basis of global recommendations and local requirements for libraries in six theoretical sections. Designing the theoretical framework in the following areas such as (i) Theoretical framework of integrated library system cluster (ii) Theoretical framework of community communication and interaction (iii) Theoretical framework of digital media archiving cluster (iv) Theoretical framework of content management system (v) Theoretical framework of learning content management system (vi) Theoretical framework of federated search system. Integrated library system cluster two things are more important development of ILS and open source ILS software. On the other hand it also crafted the requirement of parameters selection and it can be developed in three ways such as basic parameters settings, theoretical framework for housekeeping operations, and theoretical framework for information retrieval system. Software selection and parameter selection is also an pivotal tasks in the field or theoretical framework of community communication and interaction. Theoretical framework of digital media archiving cluster can be developed in three sections such as selection of software, selection of standards, and metadata selection for all the libraries. Content management system can be developed in three ways such as workflow of content management system, software selection in CMS cluster, and parameters selection in CMS cluster. Development of theoretical framework of learning content management system for libraries in three sections such as Components of Learning Content Management System , Software selection in LCMS cluster, and Parameters selection in LCMS cluster. Software selection and parameters selection is also an important components in the federated search system theoretical framework for the development of single window based interface

Plataforma de gestão M2M

Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaThe Internet of Things is still a fast growing area and topic of interest. New solutions and implementations keep emerging, both in service oriented solutions or device oriented solutions with M2M communications, therefore promoting the creation of new business models. Thus, as a natural evolution, came the possibility to abstract sensor management from service creation. Allowing a delegation of sensor management from the sensor providers, to focus on content creation through services. However, this delegation brings new concerns regarding access control. Consequently, this dissertation proposes a possible solution to this problem, enclosed in a service oriented platform interconnected with an ETSI M2M solution. Promoting interoperability between sensors and allowing a great elasticity in service creation.A Internet das Coisas continua a ser uma área em grande crescimento e de grande interesse. Estão constantemente a surgir novas soluções e inplementações, tanto ao nível dos serviços como ao nível das comunicações Máquina-a-Máquina, promovendo assim o aparecimento de novos modelos de negócio. Desta forma surgiu naturalmente a possibilidade de abstrair a gestão de sensores da criação de serviços. Permitindo assim, uma delagação da gestão por parte de empresas detentoras de sensores, para se focarem no conteúdo com a criação de serviços. Contudo esta divisão acarreta algumas preocupações de segurança quanto ao controlo de acesso. Nesse sentido, esta dissertação propõe uma possível solução para o mesmo, englobada numa plataforma orientada ao serviços interligada com uma solução ETSI M2M. Promovendo a interoperabilidade entre sensores e permitindo assim uma grande elasticidade na criação de serviços