Power of Rich Internet Applications

Rich Internet Applications (RIA) for desktop, web applications and your web browsers can enhance their productivity by helping to build Ajax applications. Create and deploy RIA; RIA can be built using AJAX and Flash technologies.

Though the RIA concept is old the term Rich Internet Application was introduced in March, 2002. RIA is a web application with features and functionalities similar to desktop applications. It provides good user interface, transfers processes to web clients and retains bulk data on the application server.

Implementation of Ajax RIA can enhance value of service oriented systems. Open source developers can combine and leverage the powerful capabilities of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) with Rich Internet Applications technology. Developers can use many available free components, flexibility to use layouts, data management tools.

Dealing with number of people in business ride is actually a roller coaster ride to retain your business and customers; RIA provides flexibility to users, developers, companies who ever want to roll out. Good RIA can switch between the web and desktop. Traditional RIA had its own limitations:

Traditional RIA followed client-server architecture and client is used to display static content where as all real processing is carried on the server. Server is the channel through which client instructions are executed only by receiving response from the server. These drawbacks lead to revamping of RIA and current RIA has proved.

RIA does not require software installation and run safely in a web browser. Locally run in tight security environment ‘sandbox’. Scripting should be enabled in the web browser else it will be difficult for RIA developers to work. Since, RIA is network connectivity dependant at times it is really difficult if you are offline. Also, these are not search engine friendly and makes difficult for search engine crawlers to index these web pages, ultimately affecting the visibility of your website. Older and newer version of RIA share a common feature that is both have an intermediate code layer called client engine that runs in between user and server. At the beginning client engine is downloaded at the client side and as we progress and according to your application requirement more codes are added on the way; client engine is programmed to perform application functions that will improve aspects of user interface. Client engine provides several benefits to enjoy: rich user interface; more responsive as client engine is downloaded on the client side at the beginning itself. Other performance benefits include: client server balance, workload on the web server is reduced, and resources set free are assigned other client sessions simultaneously. Prefetching and asynchronous communication speeds up the response time. This helps RIA users to move data between the client and server easily. e.g. Google Maps. Network load is reduced as client engine is application specific and before downloading data.

As the client engine is application specific, codes are moved from the web server to the client and chances of error occurrence increases, increasing the overall development processes.

We know that in a general each web page requires an individual download using HTTP GET request. But, RIA uses asynchronous communication for more responsive user interface bypassing web page paradigm of downloading the web pages. This makes difficult to measure the response time and reduces the packet sniffing approach.

RIA is java script enabled and uses XMLHTTPRequest for client-server communication, DOM scripting and latest CSS for rich user interface. Some products provide environment for development of RIA.

Yes, this is possible and also easy, all you need to add a code generated by that website for example yahoo here. Just insert java snippet i.e. code inserted in the body and any change is reflected dynamically. Custom widgets are available. Similarly you can read and know about the latest updates using RSS reader/RSS aggregator.

You can find few such widgets added in my blog, which are updated on daily basis, or as and when any change occurs.

At Icreon, based on the requirements of the clients, we combine AJAX and Flash with PHP to develop a variety of Rich Internet Applications. Rakhi, is a SEO copywriter at Icreon Communications Pvt. Ltd., an offshore software development company that offers web application development business services and solutions.

by RAKHI CHOWDHARY