Web 2.0 Development Environments
We’re down to the last section of the Web 2.0 article and here it is. In this section, I discuss the Oracle development environments that you might want to consider:
Development Environments
Web 2.0 includes a number of development environments. In this paper, we’ll discuss:
- Oracle Application Express
- WebCenter Suite
- Ruby on Rails
- Grails on Groovy
- .NET
- PHP
- Flash and Flex
The development environment you select will depend on numerous factors including your core competencies. If you’re an Oracle shop, Oracle Application Express is the most logical place to start.
Oracle’s Application Express (Apex)
Apex provides an excellent entry point (and long-term) solution to take you into Web 2.0. Apex provides solid Web 2.0 user interface components, the ability to develop mashups, collaborate, embed Web Services and so much more. If you’re interested in more specifics about Apex and how it fits into the Web 2.0 world, visit: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/application_express/html/web2.0.html
The foundation of Application Express (i.e. the PL/SQL module for Apache) is not new technology by any means. It’s been around since the early 90s (except that it was embedded into a Spyglass app server). Apex uses SQL and PL/SQL as its basis for development. Apex abstracts the developer from writing HTML, AJAX, Web Service calls by providing an amazing wizard-based development environment. Apex is an excellent development tool for any existing Oracle shop where the core competencies include SQL and PL/SQL skills.
Oracle’s Apex Website (http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/application_express/index.html), hosted environment (http://apex.oracle.com/) and Apex forum (http://forums.oracle.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=137) all provide you with greater starter kits, tutorials, sample and starter packaged applications (including employee directories, ask the expert – i.e. Ask Tom, bug tracker, discussion forum and issue tracker – i.e. Metalink and so many more), white papers and considerable Apex knowledge.
Apex includes many Web 2.0 features including build-in AJAX (called On Demand Processes), functionality to integrate into your applications, Web Services, Partial Page Request (PPR) Reporting and Charting, Auto Updating Reports and Charts, Reports with AJAX based Detail Frames, AJAX-Based Cascading Select Lists, Query Builder, SQL Workshop Query by Example, Flash charting, tooltips, and expanding trees.
Apex has always done a great job of providing its roadmap for the future. Version 4.0 of Apex has been touted as the Web 2.0 version, which will include some new Web 2.0 functionality including:
- Interactive reporting region types which natively integrate Web 2.0 features to filter, break and sort data
- Declarative support for AJAX validations
- New item/region types, including DHTML calendar and AJAX tree
For more information on Oracle’s Apex statement of direction, see: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/application_express/apex_sod.html
There are two additional benefits of using Apex:
- If you already have an Oracle database, you already have Apex. In other words, it comes with the database. You don’t have to purchase Apex separately. So you get Apex “for free.”
- If you don’t already have an Oracle database and you can run your application on Oracle Express (Oracle Database 10g Express Edition or XE), you can run your application on Oracle and Apex for free. In fact, XE is an excellent free solution provided by Oracle. XE comes with Apex as the built-in database management and development environment. With XE you can develop using Apex, Grails, Java, PHP, .NET, or most any development environment. See http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/xe/index.html for more information.
WebCenter Suite
If you’re looking for an Enterprise level Web 2.0 solution, then WebCenter Suite is the Swiss Army Knife of Web 2.0. All of the above applications, components and functionality can be created with WebCenter. WebCenter Suite includes functionality for:
- Visual interfaces of Web 2.0
- Oracle ADF Faces
- AJAX
- Adobe Flex
- Collaboration & Social Networking - Wikis and Blogs - Authorship
- Linking and Tagging
- Content Management
- Search Management
- Portal and Mashups
- Web Services and other Extensions
WebCenter is the main integrated development environment (IDE) for all Oracle eBusiness Suite applications. WebCenter has been around for some time. It was formerly called JDeveloper, which is a complete IDE (not just for Java). WebCenter is the future of Oracle Fusion. For more information see: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/webcenter/services.html
WebCenter is Oracle’s promise land for Web 2.0 and the future of all Oracle Fusion Middleware development. For more information about AJAX within WebCenter, see: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/java/ajax.html
All of the new open standards Portal functionality is built into WebCenter. If you’re interested in developing a complete mashup application, you’ll want to read Chris Ostrowski’s book, “Oracle Application Server Portal Handbook” (http://www.amazon.com/Oracle-Application-Server-Portal-Handbook/dp/0072264608) and his Web site demos (http://oski-oracle.info/index.html). Oracle’s demos provide about 10 percent of what you’ll need to do. Chris’ excellent demos will provide the rest of the critical information.
You may also wish to check out the WebCenter and Web 2.0 Forum: http://forums.oracle.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=354
Ruby on Rails
Many sites have been developed using Ruby on Rails. Ruby uses a template-based approach to application development. The RubyOnRails Web site (http://www.rubyonrails.org/) provides great tutorials and other pertinent information about Ruby. Ruby helps you follow best practice methodologies without coding as such – i.e. it’s automated. There are several great articles for using Ruby for Oracle such as http://www.oracle.com/technology/pub/articles/haefel-oracle-ruby.html. Sites such as http://www.bookrenters.com/ use Ruby as their development platform. Ruby can be thought of as a Web 2.0 development environment. Web Services will automatically be created for each interface that you develop.
Rails is similar to SmallTalk, which is not an easy programming environment to learn. Ruby greatly simplifies Rails development by writing large chunks of Rails code for you. The good news is that when you extend beyond the capabilities of Ruby’s wizards, you’ll be able to do anything
you would like with Rails.
Ruby is a great development environment for “open source” shops. If you’re an Oracle shop, Ruby is not likely to be your first choice. Rather Apex is often the first choice for Oracle-centric Web 2.0 developers because Apex uses PL/SQL as its core language of choice. Rails is an object-oriented language, which is similar to Java in that regard. Java is typically difficult for Oracle developers to learn.
Grails on Groovy
If Ruby on Rails isn’t confusing enough, how about Grails on Groovy? Grails is the Java version of Ruby. Grails provides a quick development framework. Grails is to Groovy what Ruby on Rails is to Ruby. You can obtain more information at http://build.canoo.com/grails/. Grails is a good Web 2.0 environment if you’re a Java shop looking for a Ruby-like solution.
.NET
If you’re a Microsoft shop, then .NET is likely your development world. .NET is effectively Microsoft’s Web Service world. Oracle provides .NET toolkits for WebCenter. See http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/windows/odpnet/newbetafeatures.html?msgid=5904414 for more information.
PHP
PHP originated out the Perl shops. If you’re a Perl shop, you might want to consider PHP for your Web 2.0 development. Oracle also provides PHP toolkits for Oracle. If you’re interested in these toolkits, see: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/php/index.html
Flash and Flex
If you like Oracle’s Application Developer Framework (ADF), but you don’t feel its “open source” enough for you, you might want to consider using the Eclipse IDE with the Adobe Flex plug-in. Flex provides the Web 2.0 functionality and the rapid application development that you’re seeking.
Adobe Flash is used by many of the Web 2.0 application development environments. For example, Apex includes Flash for charting.
Videobloom (http://www.videobloom.com/) provides a number of Flash-based development toolkits.
Conclusion
As you can tell, Web 2.0 is a complex topic. Oracle recently created an excellent Webcast on Web 2.0. that complements this paper. You can find this Webcast at: http://www.oracle.com/pls/ebn/live_viewer.main?p_direct=yes&p_shows_id=5828710
Hopefully this paper has provided you with a better understanding of the components involved in Web 2.0 as well as the development environments that are available. Again, if you’re a traditional Oracle shop, Oracle Application Express is the most logical place to start your Web 2.0 effort.
Through this paper, you’ve seen examples of how Web 2.0 delivers a new platform of real-world applications that allow employees and customers to share information in a much more cost-effective method. Hopefully they have inspired you to think about how you can replace email as your business’ collaboration tool and how you might approach a Web 2.0 application for your employees and customers.
For Further Reading:
White Paper:
(www.tusc.com/wp)
Internal and External Application Integration through Web Services
Web Briefing:
(www.tusc.com/briefing)
Internal and External Application Integration through Web Services
How IntelliReal uses Web Services to Enable Customers to Better Service their Clients
Books:
Oracle Application Server Portal Handbook (ISBN: 0072264608), by Christopher Ostrowski
Oracle HTML DB [Apex] Handbook (ISBN: 0072257687), by Lawrence Linnemeyer & Bradley Brown
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