WebFrame is a complete system for quickly and thoroughly producing HTML-based, data-driven web sites. WebFrame works specifically with the Oracle database. The WebFrame system offers a host of features and benefits that significantly reduce the time and cost of developing and maintaining complex, scalable and secure web sites while taking full advantage of the underlying database management system:

• It provides the developer and design team with an example working web site from which to start. Thus providing guidance through the use of working examples that already contend with the function mechanics allowing the focus to remain on the business.
• It utilizes a customizable template driven architecture that ensures ease of development, ease of debugging and a consistent site-wide look and feel.
• It supplies a code generator to quickly develop new modules or to change existing ones. This is ideal for prototyping.
• It provides the developer with power, scalability and direct access to Oracle’s robust database.
• It compliments the use of other web-based technologies such as Java, etc.
• It supplies a documentation generator to quickly document the entire system. This is a direct byproduct of the analysis and physical model, thus requiring very little extra effort.

Details

The WebFrame system is comprised of a PL/SQL toolkit API (application programmers interface), an application code generator and a documentation generator. It is packaged with an initial, fully functional web site that includes user interface pages, graphics and pre-programmed modules required by many web sites. These modules include:

• Managing user accounts, registrations or memberships
• Secure, private login access
• Forgot my password
• Secure sessions (that do not use cookies)
• Administrative tools to allow for web site management
• Roles, functions and privileges
• Dynamic menus
• Site-wide bulletins and broadcasts
• Inter-user messaging
• E-mail
• Writing files to disk
• E-commerce functions that include a:
• Store
• Shopping cart
• Checkout
• Credit card processing
• Receipts
• Invoicing

The initial web site serves two purposes. First, it provides an actual visual of the web site. This is a much more powerful medium than plain literature. Second, the modules serve as a default, working prototype that demonstrate their functionality. These modules can be left as is, customized or removed. Of course, the web site look will be customized to suit the client.

WebFrame’s design and framework offers the ideal platform for rapid prototyping, design and deployment of web sites that will run on any browser and/or wireless phone. WebFrame includes support for a host of web-based technologies such as HTML, WML, style sheets, Java, JavaScript, Flash and other web site components. It supports the use of the Oracle 8i database with the OAS and the Oracle 9i database with Apache or 9iAS.

WebFrame has been developed using real web site projects. Its framework has been designed and architected to deal with many of the fundamental issues facing web site development. This fosters business centric web site development. Additionally, WebFrame’s design allows for the customization of virtually every aspect of its base framework.

The business analysis phase is used as input into the application code and documentation generators. The documentation generator documents the analysis of the entire application, while the application code generator creates the necessary web pages for the management of each entity/function in the web site. These web pages share the same consistent internal architecture and provide the mechanism that allows data to be stored, viewed, modified and deleted from the database. Once generated, these web pages can be customized (if required) in a matter of minutes.

Background

The Oracle database is a robust tool that does not constrain the developer. Oracle also offers a suite of high-level tools specifically designed for various purposes. These tools, such as Developer2000 supply a framework for rapid development for forms-based applications. However, high-level tools for rapid development of HTML-based, transaction-oriented web applications using the OAS or 9iAS and PL/SQL do not exist.

Low-level tools exist, but still require considerable upfront system-wide design and engineering to establish the framework required to quickly and consistently develop this type of web sites. This framework might include the design and development of a consistent internal architecture, a consistent interface look-and-feel and a set of modules/functions typically required by transaction based web sites, such as, sessions, logins, e-mail, menus, functions, privileges, roles, etc. This is costly in both project time and money.

WebFrame is the complete solution for rapidly producing sophisticated HTML-based, data-driven web applications with its feature rich set of tools.