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Horde groupware is a typical web application.

In software engineering, a Web application is an application that is accessed via Web browser over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. It is also a computer software application that is coded in a browser-supported language (such as HTML, JavaScript, Java, etc.) and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware (calendar, notes, tasks, file manager), a wiki and a time and task tracking software. ... Collaborative software, also known as groupware, is application software that integrates work on a single project by several concurrent users at separated workstations (see also Computer supported cooperative work). ... Software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software. ... Application software is a subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform. ... An example of a Web browser (Mozilla Firefox) A web browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with text, images, videos, music and other information typically located on a Web page at a website on the World Wide Web or a local area network. ... An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet protocols, network connectivity to securely share part of an organizations information or operations with its employees. ... HTML, an initialism of HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web pages. ... JavaScript is a scripting language most often used for client-side web development. ... Java language redirects here. ...

Web applications are popular due to the ubiquity of a client, sometimes called a thin client. The ability to update and maintain Web applications without distributing and installing software on potentially thousands of client computers is a key reason for their popularity. Common Web applications include Webmail, online retail sales, online auctions, wikis, discussion boards, Weblogs, MMORPGs and many other functions. In computing, a client is a system that accesses a (remote) service on another computer by some kind of network. ... A HP T5700 thin client, with flash memory A Neoware m100 thin client. ... Webmail is a class of web applications that allow users to read and write e-mail using a web browser, or in a more general sense, an e-mail account accessed through such an application. ... In commerce, a retailer buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells individual items or small quantities to the general public or end user customers, usually in a shop, also called store. ... The online auction business model is one in which participants bid for products and services over the internet. ... Wiki wiki redirects here. ... A typical Internet forum discussion, with common elements such as quotes and spoiler brackets A page from a forum showcasing emoticons and Internet slang An Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. ... A weblog (now more commonly known as a blog) is a web-based publication consisting primarily of periodic articles (normally, but not always, in reverse chronological order). ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ...

History

In earlier types of client-server computing, each application had its own client program which served as its user interface and had to be separately installed on each user's personal computer. An upgrade to the server part of the application would typically require an upgrade to the clients installed on each user workstation, adding to the support cost and decreasing productivity. Client/Server is a network application architecture which separates the client (usually the graphical user interface) from the server. ... The user interface is the part of a system exposed to users. ... Technical support (also tech support) is a range of services providing assistance with computer hardware, software, or other electronic or mechanical goods. ...

In contrast, Web applications dynamically generate a series of Web documents in a standard format supported by common browsers such as HTML/XHTML. Client-side scripting in a standard language such as JavaScript is commonly included to add dynamic elements to the user interface. Generally, each individual Web page is delivered to the client as a static document, but the sequence of pages can provide an interactive experience, as user input is returned through Web form elements embedded in the page markup. During the session, the Web browser interprets and displays the pages, and acts as the universal client for any Web application. Web Document is a extended (and more informal) concept for web page, to be protocol independent and format independent. ... HTML, an initialism of HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web pages. ... The Extensible HyperText Markup Language, or XHTML, is a markup language that has the same depth of expression as HTML, but also conforms to XML syntax. ... Client-side scripting generally refers to the class of computer programs on the web that are executed client-side, by the users web browser, instead of server-side (on the web server). ... JavaScript is a scripting language most often used for client-side web development. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

Interface

Webconverger operating system provides an interface for web applications.

The Web interface places very few limits on client functionality. Through Java, JavaScript, DHTML, Flash and other technologies, application-specific methods such as drawing on the screen, playing audio, and access to the keyboard and mouse are all possible. Many services have worked to combine all of these into a more familiar interface that adopts the appearance of an operating system. General purpose techniques such as drag and drop are also supported by these technologies. Web developers often use client-side scripting to add functionality, especially to create an interactive experience that does not require page reloading (which many users find disruptive)^{[citation needed]}. Recently, technologies have been developed to coordinate client-side scripting with server-side technologies such as PHP. Ajax, a web development technique using a combination of various technologies, is an example of technology which creates a more interactive experience. An operating system (OS) is a software that manages computer resources and provides programmers with an interface used to access those resources. ... Java refers to a number of computer software products and specifications from Sun Microsystems that together provide a system for developing application software and deploying it in a cross-platform environment. ... JavaScript is a scripting language most often used for client-side web development. ... Dynamic HTML or DHTML designates a technique of creating interactive web sites by using a combination of the static markup language HTML, a client-side scripting language (such as JavaScript) and the style definition language Cascading Style Sheets. ... Adobe Flash (previously called Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash) is a set of multimedia technologies developed and distributed by Adobe Systems and earlier by Macromedia. ... In computer graphical user interfaces, drag-and-drop is the action of (or support for the action of) clicking on a virtual object and dragging it to a different location or onto another virtual object. ... For other uses, see PHP (disambiguation). ... AJAX redirects here. ...

Technical considerations

A significant advantage of building Web applications to support standard browser features is that they should perform as specified regardless of the operating system or OS version installed on a given client. Rather than creating clients for MS Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems, the application can be written once and deployed almost anywhere. However, inconsistent implementations of the HTML, CSS, DOM and other browser specifications can cause problems in web application development and support. Additionally, the ability of users to customize many of the display settings of their browser (such as selecting different font sizes, colors, and typefaces, or disabling scripting support) can interfere with consistent implementation of a Web application. Windows redirects here. ... Mac OS X (pronounced ) is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. ... This article is about operating systems that use the Linux kernel. ... An operating system (OS) is a software that manages computer resources and provides programmers with an interface used to access those resources. ... In computing, HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is a markup language designed for the creation of web pages and other information viewable in a browser. ... CSS redirects here. ... Hierarchy of objects in an example HTML DOM - Document Object Model The Document Object Model (DOM) is a platform- and language-independent standard object model for representing HTML or XML and related formats. ...

Another approach is to use Adobe Flash or Java applets to provide some or all of the user interface. Since most Web browsers include support for these technologies (usually through plug-ins), Flash- or Java-based applications can be implemented with much of the same ease of deployment. Because they allow the programmer greater control over the interface, they bypass many browser-configuration issues, although incompatibilities between Java or Flash implementations on the client can introduce different complications. Because of their architectural similarities to traditional client-server applications, with a somewhat "thick" client, there is some dispute over whether to call systems of this sort "Web applications"; an alternative term is "Rich Internet Application" (RIA). Adobe Flash (previously called Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash) is a set of multimedia technologies developed and distributed by Adobe Systems and earlier by Macromedia. ... A Java applet is an applet delivered in the form of Java bytecode. ... For the geographical term, see ria. ...

Structure

Though many variations are possible, a Web application is commonly structured as a three-tiered application. In its most common form, a Web browser is the first tier, an engine using some dynamic Web content technology (such as ASP, ASP.NET, CGI, ColdFusion, JSP/Java, PHP,embPerl, Python, or Ruby on Rails) is the middle tier, and a database is the third tier. The Web browser sends requests to the middle tier, which services them by making queries and updates against the database and generates a user interface. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Multitier architecture. ... Active Server Pages (ASP) is Microsofts first server-side script engine for dynamically-generated web pages. ... ASP.NET logo ASP.NET is a web application framework marketed by Microsoft that programmers can use to build dynamic web sites, web applications and XML web services. ... The Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a standard protocol for interfacing external application software with an information server, commonly a web server. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Java Servlet API allows a software developer to add dynamic content to a Web server using the Java platform. ... For other uses, see PHP (disambiguation). ... Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language. ... Ruby on Rails is a free web application framework designed to make web development faster, simpler and more efficient. ...

Business use

An emerging strategy for application software companies is to provide Web access to software previously distributed as local applications. Depending on the type of application, it may require the development of an entirely different browser-based interface, or merely adapting an existing application to use different presentation technology. These programs allow the user to pay a monthly or yearly fee for use of a software application without having to install it on a local hard drive. A company which follows this strategy is known as an application service provider (ASP), and ASPs are currently receiving much attention in the software industry. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Writing Web applications

There are many Web application frameworks which facilitate rapid application development by allowing the programmer to define a high-level description of the program. In addition, there is potential for the development of applications on Internet operating systems, although currently there are not many viable platforms that fit this model. A web application framework is a software framework that is designed to support the development of dynamic websites, Web applications and Web services. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

The use of Web application frameworks can often reduce the number of errors in a program, both by making the code more simple, and by allowing one team to concentrate just on the framework. In applications which are exposed to constant hacking attempts on the Internet, security-related problems caused by errors in the program are a big issue. Frameworks may also promote the use of best practices such as GET after POST. This article is about computer hacking. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

The Web Application Security Consortium (WASC) and OWASP are projects developed with the intention of documenting how to avoid security problems in Web applications. A Web Application Security Scanner is specialized software for detecting security problems in web applications. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is is an open-source project dedicated to finding and fighting the causes of insecure software. ...

Applications

Wikipedia application running in Mozilla Firefox.

Browser applications typically include simple office software (word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation tools) and can also include more advanced application such as project management software, CAD Design Software, and point-of-sale applications. Image File history File links Firefox2. ... Image File history File links Firefox2. ... Wikipedia (IPA: , or ( ) is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization. ... Application software is a subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform. ... Firefox redirects here. ... CAD is a TLA that may stand for: Cadiz Railroad (AAR reporting mark CAD) Canadian dollar – ISO 4217-code Capital Adequacy Directive Card Acceptance Device Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty Computer-aided design Computer-aided detection (medical) Computer-aided diagnosis (medical) Computer-assisted dispatch Computer-assisted drafting Coronary artery disease...

Examples

• Word processor and Spreadsheet: Google Docs & Spreadsheets
• CRM Software: SalesForce.com

Benefits

Browser Applications typically require little or no disk space, upgrade automatically with new features, integrate easily into other web procedures, such as email and searching. They also provide cross-platform compatibility (i.e Mac or Windows) because they operate within a web browser window.

Disadvantages

Standards compliance is an issue with any non-typical office document creator, which causes problems when file sharing and collaboration becomes critical. Also, Browser Applications rely on application files accessed on remote servers through the internet. Therefore, when connection is interrupted, the application is no longer usable. Google Gears is a beta platform to combat this issue and improve the usability of Browser Applications. Google Gears is a beta service offered by Google to enable access to online services while off-line. ...

See also

// Ajax may refer to: Ajax the Great as a well known hero from the Trojan war and son of Telamon Ajax the Lesser son of the king of Locris, and another hero in the Trojan war Ajax (missionary), Arian missionary who converted the pagan Suevi c. ... Adobe Flex is a collection of technologies released by Adobe Systems for the development and deployment of cross platform, rich Internet applications based on the proprietary Adobe Flash platform. ... Active Server Pages (ASP) is Microsofts first server-side script engine for dynamically-generated web pages. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alpha Five is a database application produced by Alpha Software, similar to Microsoft Access and Filemaker Pro. ... ASP.NET logo ASP.NET is a web application framework marketed by Microsoft that programmers can use to build dynamic web sites, web applications and XML web services. ... CSS redirects here. ... The CNR Logo CNR, or Click N Run, is a software distribution service created by Linspire, Inc. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A content management framework is an application programming interface for creating a customized content management system. ... Dynamic HTML or DHTML is a collection of technologies used together to create interactive and animated web sites by using a combination of a static markup language (such as HTML), a client-side scripting language (such as JavaScript), a presentation definition language (Cascading Style Sheets, CSS), and the Document Object... In computing, HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is a markup language designed for the creation of web pages and other information viewable in a browser. ... Web Document is a extended (and more informal) concept for web page, to be protocol independent and format independent. ... JavaScript is a scripting language most often used for client-side web development. ... // JavaServer Pages (JSP) is a Java technology that allows software developers to dynamically generate HTML, XML or other types of documents in response to a Web client request. ... Ruby on Rails is a free web application framework designed to make web development faster, simpler and more efficient. ... For other uses, see Perl (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see PHP (disambiguation). ... Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language. ... “Software development” redirects here. ... A Tag cloud (constructed by Markus Angermeier) [1] presenting some of the themes of Web 2. ... Web 3. ... Software as a service (SaaS) is a model of software delivery where the software company provides maintenance, daily technical operation, and support for the software provided to their client. ... A web application framework is a software framework that is designed to support the development of dynamic websites, Web applications and Web services. ... iMacros Logo iMacros is an extension for the Mozilla Firefox web browsers which adds record and replay functionality similar to that found in web testing and form filler software. ... Web services architecture A Web service (also Web Service) is defined by the W3C as a software system designed to support interoperable Machine to Machine interaction over a network. ... This is a list of notable web application frameworks, used for creating web applications. ... WWWC redirects here. ...

References

External links

• How Microsoft lost the API war — A discussion on how web applications are replacing Windows applications
• Web Applications 1.0 is the ongoing work of documenting how Web applications will work.
• The Other Road Ahead — An article arguing that the future lies on the server, not rich interfaces on the client
• Web Applications in the Open Directory Project
• Web Client Software Factory — A discussion on how to create composite web and page flow applications on the Microsoft platform.