Use the WebSphere application Server Feature Pack for WEB 2.0 to create an AJAX based

Create an AJAX-based dynamic WEB application using the WebSphere application Server Feature Pack for Web 2.0

Brief introduction

Web 2.0-related technologies, such as asynchronous Javascript™xml (Ajax), Web remote, and web messaging, are becoming increasingly popular in today's Web applications. Ajax-based applications can provide better responsiveness and interactivity than traditional WEB applications. In Web applications that incorporate Ajax architectures, users do not have to wait for the entire web overload to see new results from the server, and they can use fewer steps to accomplish tasks on a single Web page, which is typically presented in incremental or on-demand terms.

To meet the growing demand for rapid development and delivery of Ajax-enabled solutions, the IBM WebSphere application Server Feature Pack for WEB 2.0 provides a rich set of components that enable you to easily and efficiently build a system based on AJ Ax's application. It also provides a framework based on open standards for integrating existing services or solution assets into rich Internet applications.

The main components of the feature package include:

Ajax Client/Agent Runtime

RPC (Remote Procedure Call) adapter

WEB Message Delivery Service

json4j (JavaScript Object notation for Java) library

IBM SOAP Library

IBM Atom Library

IBM OpenSearch Library

IBM Gauge Parts

This article describes the steps to building an Ajax-based charting application using the WEB 2.0 Feature Pack. By following this example, you will be able to learn how to use the components in the feature package to build a complete WEB 2.0 solution with a rich user experience.

Prerequisite

This exercise assumes that you have basic knowledge of WEB application development and are familiar with Eclipse or IBM rational®application Developer. To complete the steps described here, you will need to successfully install the WebSphere Application Server Feature Pack for WEB 2.0 to a functioning WebSphere Application server (V6.0, 6.1 or 7.0) in the environment.

Introduction to the sample dynamic application

The sample application included with this article is designed to demonstrate a way to build an Ajax-based application using the main components of the WEB 2.0 Feature Pack while still meeting changing business requirements. The sample application uses dynamic charts to report the number of car brands sold (using bar charts) over a given period of time, and lets users select a specific brand to view sales distributions by region (using pie charts). In addition, when the back-end data changes, the updated data is automatically reflected in the charts and presented to the user.

The sample application Dynamiccharts has the following characteristics:

Provides a view of car sales charts for multiple car brands.

Provides a chart view that drills down sales distribution information for a specific brand by region.

Automatically updates the chart displayed in the Web browser according to the configured time interval (initial value is 15 seconds).

Provides a flexible layout that allows users to resize the main view and detail views.

The Dynamiccharts application is built using the following Feature Pack tools:

Ajax Client Run-time

RPC Adapters

WEB Message Delivery Service

Json4j

Figure 1 illustrates the main features of the Dynamiccharts application, and Figure 2 describes the overall structure and process of the application.

Figure 1. Features of the Dynamiccharts sample