WDDX: Distributed Data For The Web Simeon Simeonov

Agenda The need for Web distributed data exchange The crisis of web applications The need for XML middleware Web Distributed Data Exchange (WDDX) WDDX scenarios Demos Call to action

The need for Web distributed data exchange

The crisis of web applications

The need for XML middleware

Web Distributed Data Exchange (WDDX)

WDDX scenarios

Demos

Call to action

Metcalf’s Law of Connectivity Metcalf’s Law of Connectivity The value of a network is a function of the number of nodes connected to that network; value grows exponentially with each node The Web is the new computing platform The number of nodes on the Net is huge, and growing at an ever increasing rate, so...

Metcalf’s Law of Connectivity

The value of a network is a function of the number of nodes connected to that network; value grows exponentially with each node

The Web is the new computing platform

The number of nodes on the Net is huge, and growing at an ever increasing rate, so...

Have we Achieved World Peace? One big assumption does not hold true Network nodes leverage peers’ data and services A Web system must be a data and service portal, not just an outward facing end-user application Web applications are not so designed Most view web applications as having a fixed end-user base working through web browsers The combination of HTML + script provides no separation of data and processing

One big assumption does not hold true

Network nodes leverage peers’ data and services

A Web system must be a data and service portal, not just an outward facing end-user application

Web applications are not so designed

Most view web applications as having a fixed end-user base working through web browsers

The combination of HTML + script provides no separation of data and processing

Case: FedEx Package Tracking Individuals track packages via browsers, but... FedEx’s real customers are corporations They want to integrate their order tracking systems with FedEx’s package tracking system They cannot do this using the existing system Redesign requires “public data interfaces” Requires exchange of structured data between browsers and servers and in between servers

Individuals track packages via browsers, but...

FedEx’s real customers are corporations

They want to integrate their order tracking systems with FedEx’s package tracking system

They cannot do this using the existing system

Redesign requires “public data interfaces”

Requires exchange of structured data between browsers and servers and in between servers

The Crisis of Web Applications Structured data exchange is not happening HTTP is a flat text-based protocol Browsers are data-starved; despite ever increasing processing capabilities, they do little more than user-interface related work Servers are separated by the walls imposed by under-powered data exchange Solution Break these walls down; let web applications execute on the entire network We know XML can help! But, how?

Structured data exchange is not happening

HTTP is a flat text-based protocol

Browsers are data-starved; despite ever increasing processing capabilities, they do little more than user-interface related work

Servers are separated by the walls imposed by under-powered data exchange

Solution

Break these walls down; let web applications execute on the entire network

We know XML can help! But, how?

Native XML Approach DTD design XML data generation XML parsing and processing SAX, DOM, … XML transformation CSS, DSSSL, XSL, …

DTD design

XML data generation

XML parsing and processing

SAX, DOM, …

XML transformation

CSS, DSSSL, XSL, …

Sounds Great, But… Native XML processing is still not very easy XML is a young field The standards landscape is in flux Many tools are immature and/or expensive Mass developer community lacks expertise How can the Web take advantage of the benefits of XML in this environment?

Native XML processing is still not very easy

XML is a young field

The standards landscape is in flux

Many tools are immature and/or expensive

Mass developer community lacks expertise

How can the Web take advantage of the benefits of XML in this environment?

The Need For XML Middleware Solution A mechanism for exchanging structured data that hides the details of XML processing What is required? The Web is simple, pragmatic, and ubiquitous Page-based web applications that run on web application servers (Perl scripts, Active Server Pages, ColdFusion) rule the field

Solution

A mechanism for exchanging structured data that hides the details of XML processing

What is required?

The Web is simple, pragmatic, and ubiquitous

Page-based web applications that run on web application servers (Perl scripts, Active Server Pages, ColdFusion) rule the field

How should it be done? Work directly with application data Developers never see XML, but they benefit from it Cross platform Different OSs: Windows, Mac, Unix Different languages: ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML), VBScript, JavaScript, Java, C/C++, COM, CORBA, Frontier, Perl, PHP, Python Open and flexible Easy to contribute to Can track evolving W3C standards Free!

Work directly with application data

Developers never see XML, but they benefit from it

Cross platform

Different OSs: Windows, Mac, Unix

Different languages: ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML), VBScript, JavaScript, Java, C/C++, COM, CORBA, Frontier, Perl, PHP, Python

Open and flexible

Easy to contribute to

Can track evolving W3C standards

Free!

How should it work? Platform X Platform Y Application Data Serialization Deserialization Application Data The Net

Web Distributed Data Exchange WDDX DTD Language and platform neutral representation of common application data structures: strings, numbers, booleans, date-time values, arrays, associative arrays, and recordsets WDDX platform modules Serialization/deserialization modules for CFML, COM (C/C++, ASP, and all Windows apps), JavaScript (browser), Perl, and Java WDDX datatypes Common API uses native datatypes when possible

WDDX DTD

Language and platform neutral representation of common application data structures: strings, numbers, booleans, date-time values, arrays, associative arrays, and recordsets

WDDX platform modules

Serialization/deserialization modules for CFML, COM (C/C++, ASP, and all Windows apps), JavaScript (browser), Perl, and Java

WDDX datatypes

Common API uses native datatypes when possible

Technology Comparisons XML DTDs WDDX abstracts the process of DTD creation, XML generation, and XML parsing for app data DOM WDDX is an API built on top of DOM SOAP and WebBroker WDDX is about data, not object method requests WIDL WDDX has no notion of a service or an interface RDF and DCD WDDX is not about meta-data

XML DTDs

WDDX abstracts the process of DTD creation, XML generation, and XML parsing for app data

DOM

WDDX is an API built on top of DOM

SOAP and WebBroker

WDDX is about data, not object method requests

WIDL

WDDX has no notion of a service or an interface

RDF and DCD

WDDX is not about meta-data

WDDX Evolution WDDX DTD is versionable Multiple versions of WDDX can interoperate WDDX can track evolving W3C standards Source code is open Encourages involvement and participation Lowers the cost of WDDX-enabling a platform Allaire is working together with third parties It’s free! The more nodes speak WDDX, the better

WDDX DTD is versionable

Multiple versions of WDDX can interoperate

WDDX can track evolving W3C standards

Source code is open

Encourages involvement and participation

Lowers the cost of WDDX-enabling a platform

Allaire is working together with third parties

It’s free!

The more nodes speak WDDX, the better

When Should One Use WDDX? Point-to-point data exchange No pre-existing XML/SGML content Application-level data is ‘produced’ Applications ‘consume’ the data Only one use for the XML data representation Multiple ad hoc data exchanges Little or no benefit from custom vocabularies Example: per page browser-server data exchange

Point-to-point data exchange

No pre-existing XML/SGML content

Application-level data is ‘produced’

Applications ‘consume’ the data

Only one use for the XML data representation

Multiple ad hoc data exchanges

Little or no benefit from custom vocabularies

Example: per page browser-server data exchange

WDDX Scenarios ColdFusion Server CF Server ASP Server JavaScript Browser Windows/Java Client XML WDDX WDDX XML The Net

WDDX Demonstration Demo . . .

Demo . . .

Web Technology Adoption Path XMLless Web Structure, where art thou? XML middleware Browsers and servers exchange structured data Developers can benefit from WDDX now Proof of XML benefits to the enterprise XML-enabled Web A better place for all

XMLless Web

Structure, where art thou?

XML middleware

Browsers and servers exchange structured data

Developers can benefit from WDDX now

Proof of XML benefits to the enterprise

XML-enabled Web

A better place for all

Call to Action Want to see WDDX in action? Download ColdFusion: www.coldfusion.com Visit the WDDX site: www.wddx.org Want to try WDDX out? Sign up for the Software Development Kit (SDK) Send email to [email_address] . It’s free! Want to get involved in the WDDX effort? You can help the vocabulary evolve, or you can contribute serialization/deserialization modules Send email to [email_address]

Want to see WDDX in action?

Download ColdFusion: www.coldfusion.com

Visit the WDDX site: www.wddx.org

Want to try WDDX out?

Sign up for the Software Development Kit (SDK)

Send email to [email_address] . It’s free!

Want to get involved in the WDDX effort?

You can help the vocabulary evolve, or you can contribute serialization/deserialization modules

Send email to [email_address]