Book Image

Backbase 4 RIA Development

Book Image

Backbase 4 RIA Development

Overview of this book

Backbase is a very powerful and complex JavaScript library, with many user interface components to help make web development easier. It allows the development of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) that run within all major browsers but its powers and complexity mean that the choice of component can be overwhelming. Understanding when and how to use the right component might not always be straightforward. This book makes that easier. This is a practical book that teaches you how to use the Backbase Client Framework effectively, with a complete overview and many examples. A core developer of the framework puts the technologies used into a wider perspective of existing web standards and a seasoned software architect explains why XML-based UI definition produces better web applications. The transparent use of AJAX technologies, for example to submit forms, or to retrieve updates for data grids, can be taken for granted with the Backbase framework. Packed with examples, the book shows you how to get the most from the library of UI components, and then extend the library with its own custom language. With this book in hand, it is easy to enable AJAX within your web application. You will be able to use the Backbase framework effectively, from basic applications to complex, custom-defined UI components. This book contains a complete overview of all the UI libraries available within the Backbase framework and shows examples for each element described. The Backbase framework offers an innovative Tag Definition Language (TDL), which allows developers to create new UI components that can be used as XML elements, in the same way as using the built-in GUI library. Using TDL brings considerable development advantages, and this book explains how. Significant attention is also given to architectural aspects of designing a web-application, showing sample applications using a model-view-controller approach.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Backbase 4 RIA Development
Credits
About the Authors
About the Reviewers
Preface

About the Reviewers

Deepak Vohra is a consultant and a principal member of the NuBean.com software company. Deepak is a Sun Certified Java Programmer and Web Component Developer, and has worked in the fields of XML and Java programming and J2EE for over five years. Deepak is the co-author of the book "Pro XML Development with Java Technology", Apress and was the technical reviewer for the book WebLogic: The Definitive Guide", O'Reilly. Deepak was also the technical reviewer for the book "Ruby Programming for the Absolute Beginner", Course Technology PTR and the technical editor for the book "Prototype and Scriptaculous in Action", Manning Publications. Deepak is also the author of the books "JDBC 4.0 and Oracle JDeveloper for J2EE Development", Packt Publishing and "Processing XML Documents with Oracle JDeveloper 11g", Packt Publishing.

Jerry L. Spohn is a Manager of Development for a medium-sized software development firm in Exton, Pennsylvania. His responsibilities include managing a team of developers and assisting in architecting a large, multilingual, multi-currency loan accounting system, written in COBOL and Java. He is also responsible for maintaining and tracking a system-wide program database documentation web site, for which he uses DotNetNuke as the portal.

Jerry is also the owner of Spohn Software LLC, a small consulting firm that helps small businesses in all aspects of maintaining and improving their business processes. This includes helping with the creation and maintenance of websites, general office productivity issues, and computer procurement. Spohn Software, as a firm, prefers to teach their clients how to solve their own problems internally, rather than require a long-term contract, thereby making the business more productive and profitable in the future.

Jerry currently resides in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. He enjoys spending time with his two sons, Nicholas and Nolan.

Peter Svensson is a developer, architect, father, and runs his own company—Greener Grass AB. When he's not arranging the Scandinavian Web Developer Conference or managing the Stockholm Google Technology User Group, he develops rich web applications using the Dojo AJAX Toolkit and no Flash whatsoever. He's also the author of "Learning Dojo", Packt Publishing.