JavaZone 2009 - Take back control of your web application frontend
Problem scenario
You are to replace a mainframe system, where the user interface consists of a black console with screens of green text, with a web application.
Even though the screens are unintuitive, skilled users can navigate and manipulate the data efficiently.
The expensive, high-tech, replacement web application has all kinds of nifty features to please the user visually.
But a simple request, such as utilizing function keys and mouse-less navigation can be hard to cater for, because the IT department has standardized browsers on IE6.
The proposal
Create your own thick client frontend which wraps a web browser widget. Such widgets are maturing and easy to customize. They render advanced pages, tackle JavaScript and Flash just as good as standard browsers.
You now have a new layer where you can take control of the user experience where needed. The web page will behave as normally, but you can specifically tailor functionality for the whole application, or the context of a specific page.
if( FAIL ) ?
If the frontend fails, it was hopefully a cheap investment to throw away. The web application can still be used with a normal browser.
Stig Lau
Stig Lau has worked as a developer of enterpricy applications and consultant since 2004, and is currently employed by Bouvet.
He invents problems and solves them with new technology.