| From the good old days of the tag, to
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| | and authors can easily allow the Web
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| the XML-savvy Web services of today,
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| | server to interact with other software
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| applied Internet language has come a long
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| | and hardware applications to transmit and
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| way. And nowhere is this more evident
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| | receive data over the Internet. Popular
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| than in the field of Web application
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| | server side scripting languages used with
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| development. As the Internet grew into a
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| | Windows servers are ASP/ASP. net, Java
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| major player on the global economic
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| | Server Pages, and PHP.UNIX/Linux Web
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| front, so did the number of investors who
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| | ServersUNIX has long been known for its
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| were interested in its development. So,
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| | reliability. It is a powerful and robust
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| you may wonder, how does the Internet
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| | Web server and operating system. Unix is
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| continue to play a major role in
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| | the server of choice for many large-scale
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| communications, media and news? The key
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| | Websites that need content management
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| words are: Web Application Projects.Web
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| | systems or receive an extremely high
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| applications are business strategies and
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| | volume of traffic. Popular server side
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| policies implemented on the Web through
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| | scripting languages for UNIX are Java
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| the use of User, Business and Data
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| | Server Pages, PERL, PHP, and CORBAEvery
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| services. These tools are where the
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| | scripting language has its pros and cons.
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| future lies. In this article, I'll take
| |
| | As I'm not writing a book here, I'll use
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| you through the essential phases in the
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| | the ASP model as my language of
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| life cycle of a Web application project,
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| | illustration. When working with Windows
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| explain what options you have, and help
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| | servers, there are several important
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| you formulate a plan for successful Web
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| | parameters that the developer needs to
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| application endeavors of your own. First,
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| | throw into the equation, including
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| though, let's take a brief overview of
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| | security, scalability, speed and
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| Web applications.Who Needs Web
| |
| | application design. So below I'm going to
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| Applications and Why?There are many
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| | help you formulate a successful plan to
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| entities that require applications for
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| | accomplish all kinds of Web
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| the Web-one example would be
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| | projects.Planning for a Successful Web
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| Business-to-Business interaction. Many
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| | Development Project
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| companies in the world today demand to do
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| | In order to drastically minimize the
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| business with each other over secure and
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| | risk of project failure, I've always
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| private networks. This process is
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| | approached my application development
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| becoming increasingly popular with a lot
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| | projects in the following sequence.1.
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| of overseas companies who outsource
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| | Identify business logic and entitiesStart
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| projects to each other. From the simple
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| | by gathering information on everything
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| process of transferring funds into a bank
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| | you have. If you are going to be working
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| account, to deploying a large scale Web
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| | with databases, begin by enumerating how
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| services network that updates pricing
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| | many entities will be used in the
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| information globally, the adoption of a
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| | business logic. For example, if your
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| Web applications infrastructure is vital
| |
| | program implements sales data, a sales
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| for many businesses.The Web Application
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| | ticket would be an entity.Once you've
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| ModelThe Web application model, like many
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| | identified all your entities, establish a
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| software development models, is
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| | clear guideline for their relationships.
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| constructed upon 3 tiers: User Services,
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| | This can be done via presentations,
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| Business Services and Data Services. This
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| | flowcharts or even reports.2. Create a
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| model breaks an application into a
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| | functional specification and project
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| network of consumers and suppliers of
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| | planThis part, in my opinion, is the most
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| services.The User Service tier creates a
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| | important part of the project. Functional
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| visual gateway for the consumer to
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| | specifications (or functional specs) are
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| interact with the application. This can
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| | a map, or blueprint for how you want a
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| range from basic HTML and DHTML to
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| | particular Web application to look and
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| complex COM components and Java
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| | work. The spec details what the finished
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| applets.The user services then grab
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| | product will do, user interaction, and
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| business logic and procedures from the
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| | its look and feel.An advantage of writing
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| Business Services. This tier can range
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| | a functional spec is that it streamlines
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| from Web scripting in ASP/PHP/JSP to
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| | the development process. It takes
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| server side programming such as TCL,
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| | discrepancies and guesswork out of the
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| CORBA and PERL, that allows the user to
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| | programming process, because the level of
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| perform complex actions through a Web
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| | detail that goes into the plan makes it
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| interface.The final tier is the Data
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| | possible to minimize the misunderstanding
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| Service layer. Data services store,
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| | that's usually associated with project
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| retrieve and update information at a high
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| | mishaps. See examples of well written
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| level. Databases, file systems, and
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| | functional specs at Once the functional
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| writeable media are all examples of Data
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| | spec is finished, a project plan must be
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| storage and retrieval devices. For Web
| |
| | devised. A project plan is a timeline of
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| applications, however, databases are most
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| | tasks and events that will take place
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| practical. Databases allow developers to
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| | during the project. The project or
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| store, retrieve, add to, and update
| |
| | program manager is normally the person
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| categorical information in a systematic
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| | who creates a project plan, and their
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| and organized fashion.Choosing the Right
| |
| | primary focus is to detail task notes
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| ProjectChoosing the right types of
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| | while being able to accommodate
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| projects to work on is an extremely
| |
| | scheduling and resource information. You
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| important part of the Web application
| |
| | can download a sample Excel file for a
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| development plan.Assessing your
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| | project plan at 3. Bring the application
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| resources, technical skills, and
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| | model into playAs discussed earlier, the
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| publishing capabilities should be your
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| | application model consists of 3 tiers -
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| first goal. Taking the 3 tiers into
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| | The User, Business and Data service
|
| consideration, devise a list of all
| |
| | tiers, each of which serves a substantial
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| available resources that can be
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| | purpose.Practically speaking, it's always
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| categorically assigned to each tier.The
| |
| | best to start with the data tier, because
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| next consideration should be the cost. Do
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| | you've already identified your entities
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| you have a budget with which to complete
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| | and understand their relationships. The
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| this project? How much will it cost you
| |
| | data tier can be an SQL server database,
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| to design, develop and deliver a complete
| |
| | a text file, or even the powerful and
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| project with a fair amount of success?
| |
| | robust Oracle. Create tables,
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| These are questions that should be
| |
| | relationships, jobs, and procedures
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| answered before you sign any deals or
| |
| | depending on what platform you have
|
| contracts.Let's look at an example. A
| |
| | chosen. If the data is a warehouse (i.e.
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| company called ABC needs to develop a Web
| |
| | the data already exists and does not
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| application that will display sales
| |
| | depend on real time interaction), then
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| information created by different sales
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| | make sure that new and additional data
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| agents. The data is updated daily through
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| | can be added securely and in a scalable
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| a completely automated process from all 3
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| | fashion.A quick tip: using views in SQL
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| service tiers. The client tells you that
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| | server/Oracle can improve dramatically
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| this entire project must be done in ASP
| |
| | the productivity and performance of your
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| SQL server and that you should host the
| |
| | application. They increase speed because
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| application as well.After assessing all
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| | they are "stored queries" that don't have
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| your resources, you and your team come to
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| | a physical existence.The Business
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| a conclusion that the company is unable
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| | services tier, in my opinion, is the
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| to do data backups on a daily basis.
| |
| | heart of the application. It involves the
|
| After further discussion, you realize
| |
| | implementation of business logic into the
|
| that this is a very important part of the
| |
| | scripting or programming language.At this
|
| setup for your client, and you should not
| |
| | stage, make sure you've already set up
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| risk taking a chance with the project.
| |
| | your environment for testing and
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| It's very likely that you will be more
| |
| | debugging. Always test on at least 2
|
| prepared next time around, when a similar
| |
| | instances in your application, after all,
|
| project lands on your desk, so you
| |
| | what may work perfectly for you, may not
|
| decline the job and recommend someone
| |
| | do so well on other platforms or
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| else who has the capabilities to do it
| |
| | machines. ASP, XML, PHP, JSP and CGI are
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| right now.The Phases in a Web Application
| |
| | some examples of server side scripting
|
| ProjectThe Web application development
| |
| | languages used at the business service
|
| process has 4 phases:Envisioning the
| |
| | level. Whichever language you choose,
|
| nature and direction of the
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| | make sure that it's capable of handling
|
| projectDevising the
| |
| | all the business logic presented in the
|
| planDevelopmentTesting, support and
| |
| | functional specification.The last is the
|
| stabilityLet's look at each of these in
| |
| | user tier, which is absolutely vital for
|
| more detail.1. Envisioning the nature and
| |
| | the interactive and strategic elements in
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| direction of the projectIn this phase,
| |
| | the application. It provides the user
|
| the management and developers assigned to
| |
| | with a visual gateway to the business
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| the project come together and establish
| |
| | service by placing images, icons,
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| the goals that the solution must achieve.
| |
| | graphics and layout elements in strategic
|
| This includes recognizing the limitations
| |
| | areas of interest, most commonly, based
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| that are placed on the project,
| |
| | on management research. If you'll be
|
| scheduling, and versioning of the
| |
| | developing the user tier yourself, be
|
| application. By the end of this phase,
| |
| | sure to have studied your competition.
|
| there should be clear documentation on
| |
| | The last thing you need is for your
|
| what the application will achieve.2.
| |
| | application to look exactly the same as
|
| Devising the planIn this phase, you and
| |
| | someone else's.4. Develop a support
|
| your team must determine the "how's" of
| |
| | schemeBeing able to support and stabilize
|
| the application.What scripting language
| |
| | your application is very important.
|
| is most appropriate, which features must
| |
| | Define a procedure call for cases of
|
| be included, and how long will it take?
| |
| | failure, mishaps or even downtime. Give
|
| These are some of the questions that must
| |
| | your customers the ability to contact you
|
| be answered through this planning phase.
| |
| | in the case of an emergency relating to
|
| The main tangents at this point are the
| |
| | the program.A good example of a support
|
| project plan and functional
| |
| | scheme is a ticket tracking system. This
|
| specification. The project plan
| |
| | system allows users to file cases
|
| determines a timeframe of events and
| |
| | pertaining to a support request and the
|
| tasks, while the functional specification
| |
| | support team, then makes the case track
|
| outlines in detail how the application
| |
| | able. This means that the request is
|
| will function and flow.3. DevelopmentOnce
| |
| | identifiable by a unique code or number.
|
| the project plan and functional
| |
| | Although ticket-tracking systems are
|
| specification are ready, a baseline is
| |
| | normally used by hosting companies or
|
| set for the development work to begin.
| |
| | large scale ASP's (Application Service
|
| The programmer/s or Web developer/s begin
| |
| | Providers), they still serve a valuable
|
| coding, testing and publishing data. This
| |
| | purpose in helping keep the application
|
| phase establishes the data variables,
| |
| | stable.Over to You...So there you have it
|
| entities and coding procedures that will
| |
| | - a framework from which you can begin to
|
| be used throughout the remainder of the
| |
| | plan and develop your own successful Web
|
| project. A milestone document is prepared
| |
| | applications.Web applications will be
|
| by the development team, which is then
| |
| | around for a long time to come. As we
|
| handed to management for review.4.
| |
| | move further on into the future, they
|
| Testing, support and stabilityThe
| |
| | will become less manual and more
|
| stability phase of the application
| |
| | automated. This will eventually lead to
|
| project mainly focuses on testing and the
| |
| | new kinds of research, but for now, we
|
| removal of bugs, discrepancies and
| |
| | can be happy with the fact that it is
|
| network issues that may otherwise cause
| |
| | this that drives the Web.Caesar Fernandes
|
| the application to fail. It is here that
| |
| | is currently the Business Development
|
| policies and procedures are established
| |
| | Manager at Iridium Plus Technologies,
|
| for a successful support system.Knowing
| |
| | Kuwait's leading web and IT services
|
| Your Options and Using them Wisely
| |
| | organization, where he is in charge of
|
| Ok, now that you have an understanding
| |
| | shaping the company's business
|
| of the architecture and procedures behind
| |
| | strategies, sales and marketing campaigns
|
| Web application development, let's look
| |
| | and their Enterprise SEO services. Prior
|
| at what technical options you'll need to
| |
| | to Iridium Plus, Caesar helped develop
|
| consider for the development process
| |
| | several developmental and research based
|
| itself.Windows Web ServersMicrosoft has
| |
| | web applications for multi nationals such
|
| built a loyal customer base on one
| |
| | as Radioshack and Lee Jeans both in the
|
| important factor - their easy-to-use
| |
| | United States and in Kuwait, and has over
|
| software. Windows NT/2000/XP Web servers
| |
| | 10 years of experience in web project
|
| are very fast and easy to administer. The
| |
| | management, application development and
|
| fact that the operating system is a
| |
| | SEO.
|
| Windows shell means that administrators
| |
| |
|