A backbase Ajax front-end for Java EE applications

Dynamic HTML technology has been on the show for years. Recently, Google's latest web apps, Gmail, Google suggests and Google Maps, reintroduced a standards-based DHTML development model on the front-end pages. Google has proven that the DHTML development model enables developers to create visually appealing and highly interactive rich Internet application (Web applications, RIA).

Jesse James Garrett of Adaptive Path created the term Ajax (asynchronous JavaScript + XML) for this standards-based RIA development model. Compared with the traditional web-based Web application model, Ajax has 3 different points:

There is a client engine acting as an intermediary between the user interface (UI) and the server. User behavior is handled by the client engine instead of generating page requests to the server. XML data is transmitted between the client engine and the server.

In other words, the Ajax solution includes a client engine that renders the user interface and communicates with the server using XML format. The engine is made up of a number of JavaScript functions in a Web browser that does not require plug-ins and does not require a user installation.

An AJAX-based Ria is rapidly becoming a benchmark for Web application front-end, as it can provide both advantages: richness and accessibility. Ajax applications are as rich and responsive as desktop applications, and can provide all the data on a single page without refreshing the page. They also have the accessibility features of Standards-based browser applications that can be deployed without browser plug-ins or client applets.

The Ajax software provided by Backbase has the following features: Standards-based, full-featured, and easy to use. Backbase presentation Client (BPC) is based on Ajax technology, which extends DHTML with additional tags called Backbase XML (bxml). Backbase XML Server Edition for Java (BXS) contains server-side components that enable Java developers to quickly develop Ajax front-end for Java EE applications.

In this article, I used backbase to develop an AJAX-based front-end for the Java Pet store. This case study demonstrates how to use the Backbase technology as the AJAX presentation layer for Java EE applications. You can view the online demo of the application described in the article, the URL is http://www.backbase.com/xmlserver.

Backbase Ajax Presentation Layer

Web developers should be able to easily create rich Internet application (RIA) with the following features: completely based on the HTML standard (the World Service), without the need for end users to install Plug-ins, fast, and able to operate on all browsers, and is fully integrated with the Java EE Runtime and development environment. RIA leverages client (web browser) resources to create and manage user interfaces to provide end users with a responsive and application-style user interface.

This approach has recently been called Ajax. The term Ajax is inspired by applications such as Gmail, Google Maps, and Google suggests, which raise existing browser technology to a new level. Ria fundamentally improves the usability and effectiveness of online applications. Ajax Ria does this only by using standard browser techniques such as JavaScript, XHTML, and XMLHttpRequest objects. By using XMLHttpRequest, you do not need to refresh the page when you asynchronously load data into an interface.

Backbase provides an AJAX presentation layer in the Java EE architecture that combines the advantages of the current Java server and advanced rich-client technology. The Backbase presentation layer controls every aspect of the rich user interface: An interaction model with end users, integration with backend systems, and full client-server communication. Backbase directly provides the next paradigm for aggregating XML from any location, binding data to advanced rich user interface controls, and delivering composite applications in a unified rich user interface.

The Backbase presentation layer consists of a client and a server. Backbase presentation Client (BPC) is an AJAX-based GUI engine that allows developers to quickly build an RIA in a declarative manner. Backbase XML (bxml) is an extension of XHTML. It provides developers with additional tags for delivering rich front-end functionality (B tag). Backbase XML Server (BXS) provides an XML pipelined architecture that enables you to aggregate and transform the data from Web services, databases, or Java objects, and bind it to UI elements in the BPC. The combination of BPC and Bxs can build a powerful bridge between Web browsers and application servers, and provide a complete rich Internet presentation layer distributed across the client and server.

Figure 1 illustrates where the backbase is located in the logical and physical application architecture. The application consists of a Java-EE back end and an AJAX-based Ria front-end. Logically, Backbase provides the presentation layer, while Java EE provides the business logic and data tier. Physically, the presentation layer is distributed between the client and the server. On the client side, Backbase uses the BPC to extend the browser. On the server, Backbase uses Bxs to extend the application server.

Figure 1. Backbase Rich Internet presentation layer