Read this article to understand what RIA is.

What is Ria?

 

 

Ria is short for rich Internet applications. It refers to rich Internet applications and extended to rich client applications. So what does Ria mean? Before answering this question, let's review the history of application software system development since the age of large hosts:
1. In the host era, the interface performance and number of users are undoubtedly the lowest. A small number of users use dumb terminals to operate computers.
2. with the decrease in computer manufacturing costs, especially the popularization of personal computers, a new deployment structure has emerged in the software industry: the client is responsible for providing rich user interfaces and undertaking business logic, centrally store data on servers. This stage is called the C/S (Client/Server) era.
3. The biggest problem with the C/S structure is the high deployment and maintenance costs. Once the user interface or business logic changes, the software distributed on each client needs to be updated. Therefore, the Browser/Server structure came into being. In the B/S structure, the client program runs in a web browser. The user interface is rendered and generated by the server program. The client program is only responsible for display. The reduction in deployment costs leads to a sharp increase in the number of users of Application Software: wherever the Internet can reach, your users may appear.
4. the B/S structure is so far mixed. First, the computing capability of the client is almost deprecated, which is a waste. Second, the performance of the user interface is restricted by the web browser, which is regressed from the C/S structure. So can we create a win-win situation between the interface performance and deployment costs of the application software? This is the so-called Ria.
Rich Client Applications, also known as fat client applications, are compared with thin client applications in the B/S era. In the era of RIA, a client application running in a web browser must be upgraded to a rich client application with three conditions:
Complex user interfaces with rich effects that are not lost to desktop applications.
Ability to schedule the service logic of the server, and assemble the user interface required by yourself, instead of rendering and generating the user interface by the server.
To some extent, it breaks through the limitations of Web browsers. For example, if necessary, receiving data pushed by the server means breaking the monotonous pattern of "browser requests and server responses. For example, if necessary, you can store part of the data on the client-this is an unparalleled leap. Once you have the storage capability, rich client applications can continue to provide services to users offline.
What can JavaScript do for Ria?
Next, we will analyze the technical implementation methods that RIA can select. I conclude that IT vendors dedicated to the rich client technology field can be roughly divided into the following four camps.
Microsoft camp: as Microsoft is the largest supplier of personal computer operating systems, it has been committed to R & D of rich client application development technology to strengthen its position in personal computer. net Framework 3.0 integrated WPF, with Windows Vista launched Windows Sidebar gadgets, Silverlight and other concepts can be seen. In addition to the original. Net winform, Win32 application, ActiveX, and so on, Microsoft is truly a "high-yield user" of the client application development technology ". Among them, ActiveX and Silverlight are Web browser plug-ins, which are likely to gain some share in the RIA market.
Adobe camp: Adobe is rolling out the Apollo program. In its integrated development environment, flex builder can be used to develop Flash files running in Flash Player, it can also develop AIR applications running on the desktop. Because flash is everywhere, Adobe is a very promising force.
Sun camp: when it comes to Sun's name, it naturally comes to mind Java. No one expects that javafx and SWT/swing/AWT can shake Microsoft and Adobe, but it is still worth looking forward to in the desktop application aspect. In terms of browser applications, Applet and Java Web Start have accumulated some success stories.
Google and Mozilla: Google is the leader in cloud computing and SaaS (software as a service); Mozilla has a leading web browser. This is the only one that has not launched its own desktop application development technology, and has put all the bets on the Web camp. The combination of JavaScript + HTML + CSS is far from as brilliant as Silverlight and WPF seem, nor as energetic as the Apollo program. However, it was this combination that made Microsoft feel that "the biggest opponent of Silverlight is JavaScript. With this combination, Google has developed eye-catching applications such as GMAP, Gmail, and Gtalk. Out of confidence, Google believes that in the future, the RIA platform standards have been established, that is, Web.
In the wide array of implementation methods, JavaScript cleverly takes the lead and plays the role of "adhesive. JavaScript and various browser plug-ins (Silverlight, ActiveX, Flash, and Applet) have the ability to interoperate. Whether this plug-in technology is mainstream or uncommon, it is traditional or modern.

Javascript is the only dynamic script that is supported by major Web Browsers without any plug-ins installed. It is a natural cross-platform script. In the future, Ria must focus on JavaScript!