Network applications

Skills: none

Concepts: client, server, automatic downloading of programs from Web servers, desktop or stand-alone application versus networked application, downloaded application, browser extension, HTML

This presentation assumes you are familiar with the Google Docs word processor.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Where does this topic fit?

• Internet concepts– Applications– Technology– Implications

• Internet skills– Application development– Content creation– User skills

Networked versus stand-alone applications

Stand-alone PC

Microsoft Windows

MicrosoftWord program

We are studying the skills and concepts needed for success as a student and after ...

What is in memory while running word?

Google Docs word processor

Document area

A blank document inside the browser

Word processing commands

Stop a second and think …

Where did the program to execute the commands at the top of the screen come from?

Client Server

request

Web page plus WP program

Downloading the program

Enter and edit a document

Save the document on the server

Client GoogleServer

Document

Microsoft Windows

Google Docsword processing program

We are studying the skills and concepts needed for success as a student and after ...

What is in memory while running Google Docs?

Web browser program

onMouseOver: document.image.src = “imageup.gif”

onMouseOut: document.image.src = “imagedown.gif”

A simple dynamic Web example

Install programs from the Internet

Microsoft.com

Apple App Store

Amazon App Store

Adobe.comMicrosoft App Store

Web client helpers

Microsoft Windows

Flash browser extension

Web page with embedded video

Web browser program

HTML 4

Stand-alone app

HTML 5

Google cloud-connect

Client Server

request

Web page plus WP program

Summary

Self-study questions

1. We have seen that Web pages can include programs as well as text. What other sorts of object might be included in a Web page?

2. We used the Google Docs word processor as an example. What other network applications have you used that downloaded programs automatically?

3. What are the advantages of a network word processor like Google Docs over a desktop word processor like Microsoft Word?

4. What are the advantages of a desktop word processor like Microsoft Word over a network word processor like Google Docs?

5. We spoke of a capability gap and a performance gap between stand-alone applications and network applications. Explain why each will narrow with time.

6. If I download Microsoft Excel from the Microsoft Web site and install it on my computer, is it a networked application? Explain.

Resources

Introduction to HTML – HTML 5 has significant extensions:http://www.w3schools.com

Free application programs and serviceswww.techsupportalert.com/

Google cloud connect:https://docs.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=1361450&from=30338&rd=1