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Ric Smith

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Top Stories by Ric Smith

In my previous article, "Enterprise Mashup Services: Real-World SOA or Web 2.0 Novelties?" (JDJ Vol. 11, Issue 12), I discussed how a Java-to-AJAX library such as Direct Web Remoting (DWR) can bridge the gap between mashup services implemented with JavaScript and business services written in Java, allowing developers to blend corporate services with external services such as Google Maps. The problem with this approach is that it relies on AJAX as an integration point, which entails a fragile development platform as well as the need to maintain browser-specific code due to idiosyncrasies in browser support for JavaScript - the primary technology behind AJAX. In addition, JavaScript lacks a standardized approach for componentizing code, making applications written in it d... (more)

AJAX, Flash, Silverlight, or JavaFX: Must We Choose?

  AJAX has forever altered user expectations regarding the experience delivered by the Web. In today’s world, users sit at the edge of their seat waiting to see what scrumptious eye candy AJAX will serve them next. Some of the more notable visual effects and desktop-like interactions include Prototype-esque fades, Dojo style fisheyes, the near ubiquitous drag-and-drop, and, of course, w... (more)

The Future of the Web: HTML5 Web Sockets

AJAX, with its asynchronous updates, enabled a richer user experience on the Web. It accomplished this primarily by obscuring the latency issues that brought a "clunk-ish" feel to traditional Web applications. More recently, Comet reintroduced HTTP-based "push" communications to enable Web applications with real-time events through a medium, namely JavaScript and a variety of transports ... (more)

Why the Web Dinosaurs Died

A fast-moving Comet is about to impact the Internet. When it hits, it will wipe away the architecture flaws we have lived with for the past 15 years and allow a new World Wide Web to evolve. This new Web will include applications that are instantly on and always on, applications that are truly multi-user, and applications that go far beyond today’s “click and wait” Web solutions. Brace f... (more)

SOA World Expo: Enterprise Mashup Services

Since Web 2.0 kicked off scarcely a day goes by without a headline targeting mashups and their enablers, AJAX and Web Services, as the next hot Web technologies. Mashups are Web sites that integrate a variety of services (e.g., news feeds, weather reports, maps, and traffic conditions) in new and interesting ways. Just take a look at Zillow.com, which provides instant home valuations plo... (more)