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Introduction
The SunPlus Data Group architecture Web OpusŪ, grew from a desire to automate many of the repetitive tasks in Internet and Intranet programming. With internet programming, many pages have similar logic. Our developers felt the logic could be consolidated into a common controlling program, hence Web Opus was conceived.
Purpose
The purpose of Web Opus is to enable the developer to quickly produce high-quality web applications or web sites. It promotes site consistency, reliability, and rapid development.
Consistency
Web application consistency comes from the Web Opus architecture. Web Opus stores most of the application definition in a database. The database allows the re-use of these definitions, thus promoting consistent appearance and behavior of the web pages. As the user requests a page, the Web Opus engine builds it using the database definitions, giving the pages a consistent "look and feel". The user can augment Web Opus behavior using COM objects, but the Web Opus engine still supervises page building. The same way it provides consistency, Web Opus provides reliability.
Reliability
The Web Opus engine, using the database definitions, provides most of the functionality. This means that the greater part of all Web Opus web applications is common, resulting in increased reliability. Each web application is not written from scratch, but rather a new database definition produces a new result, which the Web Opus engine renders. When changes are necessary, like adding another field to a page, the programmer can often change the database definition only, not program code. Since code changes are avoided, the testing cycle is reduced.
Rapid Development
Web Opus provides rapid development primarily by eliminating the need for development. Depending on the application, Web Opus can provide eighty to ninety percent of the application, which means the developer will write only ten or twenty percent of the code that would have been written previously. With less code the client gets quick results, requiring less time for testing.
Architecture
Web Opus has two main features, database-driven page generation, and customization using COM objects. In the database, the Web Opus developer defines pages, entities, queries, and layouts. One logical page is defined for each physical page, and the definition controls how that page appears. The user tells Web Opus the entities involved in the application, and Web Opus uses the information to control page flow and rendering. The queries defined provide the data for pages, and the layouts dictate what HTML formatting to use to render the data.
When the basic Web Opus abilities require enhancing to meet the client's needs, a COM object is used. Web Opus will advise the object at the times requested so that the user can augment the normal behavior. Using this method the user can provide complex validations, derived fields, and custom algorithms.
Web Opus is also a COM object and it runs, along with the user's COM objects, using Microsoft's distributed Inter-Networking architecture (DNA). The foundation of the application is Web Opus, and its foundation is DNA, which means power and scalability. Web Opus uses Internet Information Server, Transaction Server, and ADO. While many companies are working to provide a consistent distributed architecture, Microsoft has delivered a working one today, and Web Opus is built upon it.
Other Features and Benefits
ODBC/OLEDB database access
Web Opus' use of ADO to access databases, means Web Opus can access and update data in most ODBC and OLE/DB data sources. The client can use Web Opus' power to provide a new view of your existing data.
Help with DNA
Microsoft's DNA takes some time to understand, and when a client uses Web Opus he or she will not have to worry about DNA. Web Opus is written for DNA.
Less experienced developers
It is getting increasingly difficult to find the developers, and training then takes time. Using Web Opus, a client can employ less-experienced developers because it is easy to learn to use.
To use Web Opus, a developer needs to understand on the basic concepts of HTML and some SQL, or have access to someone who can write the queries. In addition, if complex needs require a COM object, a developer would need to write a COM object in a COM language, like Visual Basic.
For additional information call SunPlus Data Group, Inc. at (770) 455-3264 or e-mail to: Sales
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