© 2008 ibm corporation ® extending egl with new cool web 2.0 technologies chris laffra egl rich ui...

$: © 2008 IBM Corporation ® Extending EGL with New Cool Web 2.0 Technologies Chris Laffra EGL Rich UI Architect, RBD Product Architect, IBM Rational laffrac@us.ibm.com$
© 2008 IBM Corporation

®

Extending EGL with New Cool Web 2.0 TechnologiesExtending EGL with New Cool Web 2.0 Technologies

Chris LaffraEGL Rich UI Architect,RBD Product Architect, IBM [email protected]

IBM Rational Software Development Conference 2008

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Agenda for today

BackgroundBenefits of EGL

Impact of Web2.0 on application development and delivery

Values of EGL Rich UI

Demos

Conclusions


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Business focus

Software delivery challenges

Responsiveness as a key competency

Effectiveness of people as a critical success factor

Revenue growth with cost containment

Keeping software projects aligned with changing business priorities

Delivering better business results within the constraints of current investments and skill sets

Effectively managing business and technical risk

Dealing with increasing complexity

First, some Context: Software delivery challenges


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Rich Web Applications People want “cool” technologies: Dojo, Google Maps,

etc.

Browsers are ubiquitous and more and more powerful

Reap the benefits of Client-Server architectures: Presentation logic moves to browser Server concentrates on business and data logic Server bandwidth and response times increase

Many low-level technologies to learn: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ajax, Dojo, SilverLight,

SOAP, WSDL, Flex, XML, JSON, Google Maps, HTTP, etc

Focus is on “how” instead of “what”

EGL Rich UI hides these details and complexities: Focus is on “what” instead of “how” Improves developer productivity Easily extensible with new technologies


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Three Main Benefits of the EGL Language

Java, SOA, Cobol, System Z/I/P, Browser,... Optimal native deployment to any platform Easy inter-operability with legacy

PORTABLE

SIMPLE

High productivity with equal flexibility Language simplicity and robustness Immediately useable by business developers

ABSTRACT

Effectively hide technical complexity Use declarative approach to everything Support emerging standards


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What’s the Buzz?

Rich Internet ApplicationsRich like a desktop application (widgets, interaction, responsiveness)Data on server, syntactical validation in clientOrchestration moves to browser: mashups, more flexible solutions

Deployment Model Install on a server once, all clients automatically get the new versionEase of use, no installation required, great for situational consumption

Operational AdvantagesLogic moves from server to client, reducing load on serverStateless logic, more opportunity for caching/virtualizationLess complexity on server, reduce provisioning costs


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Rich Internet Applications Challenges

Complex to build, many details to consider

Many technologies and incompatibilities in browser:Core concepts: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ajax, SOAP, JSON, XML

Presentation logic: Dojo, SilverLight, Flex, Volta, GWT

Backend technologies: SOAP, XML, JSON, PHP/C#/Java, J2EE

Common issues: performance, security, consumability, support

Required technologies operate on a very detailed, low level

Metaphors and abstractions are hard to mix and match

Require highly skilled adaptable software hackers

Matching skills with traditional business developers is hard


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EGL Web2.0 Architecture

COBOL Java

J2EE

EGL

compilation

Server

JSF

JDBC

JCL

SOA

SOA

JavaScript

EGL

compilation

Browser+

System I

System Z

EGL MashupGateway

The InternetPHP/ASP/J2EE/etc

The InternetPHP/ASP/J2EE/etc

Plain HTML

dojo

Silverlight

Flex

Layouts

REST/SOAP

mashups

SOA

GWT

Volta

Google Gears

Etc.

In RBD 7.1 today On IBM AlphaWorks todayIn RBD 7.5 late 2008*

* Plans are always subject to change

“CALL”

COBOL

RPG

+

ENT.Data

ENT.Data

One language end-to-end


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EGL: shielding complexity

Consume Data + Logic

UI Produce

JavaScriptAJAXDojoGoogle

REST XMLSOAP JSON

SOAPXMLRESTPHP

COBOLJava RPGSQL

EGL Widget Library

IBM

Widget Writer

ISVs

Business Developers

Business Developers

EGL

ComplexityComplexity

Simplicity

Doability

Simplicity

Simplicity

Simplicity

ComplexityComplexity


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What are the key Elements of the EGL Rich UI Programming Model?

With earlier versions of IBM Rational Business Developer, EGL source code can already be translated into Java and COBOL for deployment on System Z and I servers. The same EGL code allows easy access to databases and existing programs written in COBOL, Java, PL1, and RPG. That makes EGL a perfect language for doing enterprise modernization and successfully SOA-enabling legacy applications.

In addition to COBOL and Java, EGL Rich UI now adds the ability to also generate JavaScript, that then runs in a web browser and that accesses logic on the server using Services calls. The resulting JavaScript allows for mashups of various data sources being integrated inside the browser by simple code written in EGL. Existing JavaScript libraries can also be easily exposed in EGL and used in compositions thereafter.

The JavaScript that is generated from the EGL, and any dependent native JavaScript libraries can be deployed to various application servers, such as WebSphere Application Server and Apache Tomcat. However, EGL Rich UI runs just as well on lightweight stacks, such as the LAMP stacks that just rely on an Apache HTTP Server. EGL Rich UI applications run in the most prominent browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. The latter one is especially interesting to many people, as it is the browser that is included with the iPhone.

When used end to end, EGL can be used as a very productive technology to modernize user interfaces and leverage existing investments in software and hardware, but also in people skills.


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How does EGL integrate with other Technologies like Flex, Silverlight, or Dojo?

HTML and JavaScript by themselves make it hard to develop highly interactive, complex applications that manage state, services, and presentation. Various solutions have risen to the surface to fill the gap. Both Flex and Silverlight are examples where a new programming runtime was developed from scratch to write rich clients in, and the browser is just used as a transport and hosting mechanism. The actual application logic and presentation code runs inside a browser add-on and interaction from normal HTML and JavaScript is provided through a special JavaScript API. EGL Rich UI uses that API to integrate with technologies like Flex and Silverlight so that these technologies can be seamlessly integrated into a comprehensive solution.

Dojo is a different story. It does not require any browser add-on but instead is implemented as a regular JavaScript library. Dojo offers both a component model and a set of rich widgets, some of which have fairly advanced support for management of application data. Dojo is quickly becoming a de facto standard for many web presentation components in IBM products, such as the new and exciting Jazz platform and Project Zero.

Dojo is a very powerful solution, but being a JavaScript technology, dojo tends to expose many complexities of browser-based applications, such as the quirky JavaScript language, CSS styling, and figuring out how to do HTML layouts using divs and tables. JavaScript has its uses but is not for everyone. The same is true for both Flex and SilverLight that use complex languages such as ActionScript and C# for doing event handling and doing things like validation of inputs.

In contrast, EGL Rich UI allows people to focus more on the "what" rather than the "how". The composition of user interfaces is much more declarative using EGL Rich UI, allowing developers to focus more on their intent rather than on technical details, making them much more productive then when they would use complex solutions like JavaScript. Developers can still reach out into the native JavaScript layer if they really need to, but EGL Rich UI offers a much smoother progressive disclosure story. Things are simple when they need to be, and only get complex when they

EGL Rich UI is designed to be extensible from day one. In essence, any technology or library that is written in JavaScript or that has a JavaScript interface can be exposed very easily into EGL Rich UI. Included with the EGL Rich UI offering we provide numerous examples that do just that. Some of those examples are Google Maps, dojo, SilverLight, 2D rendering, Flex, etc. Each offer their own specific values and features.


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getTrack(id)

getSession(id)

SOAP/REST Service Calls

EGL records

JSON Responses

vote(id, 5)

Simple ServicesScalabilityHigh Degree of CachingVirtualization

Browser

WAS, DB2,IBM I, RPG

RSDC Scheduler Architecture


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• Declarative UI• Ajax support• Rich set of widgets• Easily extensible• Mashup using SOA

Rich User Interfaces

• EGL in 3 tiers:1. Data and Logic2. Soap/Rest Services3. Declarative UI

• Just 1 language• Skill transfer

Single Language

• Easy installation• No version pain• Flexibility

Mobility

Three Benefits of EGL Rich UI

the main focus of this particular RUI release


14

EGL Rich UI mashup with Google Map

One model and 2 views (a list and a map with markers)


15

EGL Rich UI mashup with Google Map (source)

The EGL GoogleMap abstraction itself is 45 lines of Javascript


16

DEMO


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EGL Rich UI – Summary of Values

Simple, declarative UI descriptions

Resulting Javascript code deploys on light-weight web server and runs in browser

One language

Simple metaphors

Customizable

Data-driven

Declarative


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Download IBM Rational EGL Rich UI Support

EGL Rich UI is available for evaluation today at IBM AlphaWorks:

http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/reglrws


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Wisdom of the Crowd – EGL Cafe

• Join • Download

• product trials• Sample code

• Learn• Documentation Corner• Jon’s Corner – Learn• Articles, Books• About Products• Sandbox

• Participate • Forums• Blogs• Ratings• Reviews• Share code

• Partners• GoingsOn


20

QUESTIONS


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Rational Team Concert for System z & IBM iCall for Beta Testers Rational Team Concert hosted on z/OS on System

z or IBM i on Power Systems

Collaborate & unify software teams across platforms including z/OS developers and IBM i developers

Specialized support for z/OS & IBM i languages such as COBOL, RPG, and EGL

Beta Program starting in July 2008

Go here for additional information and to register interest: https://www14.software.ibm.com/iwm/web/cc/

earlyprograms/rational/RTCiz2008/

(click Download Tab to access registration link)

IBM Rational Team Concert

transparent integrated presence

wikis OPEN real-time reporting chat automated hand-offs Web 2.0 custom dashboards automated data gathering EXTENSIBILITY Eclipse plug-ins services architecture FREEDOM TO CREATEOpen and extensible onOpen and extensible on

Collaborate in context Right-size governance Day one productivity

Collaborate in context Right-size governance Day one productivity


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© Copyright IBM Corporation 2008. All rights reserved. The information contained in these materials is provided for informational purposes only, and is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind, express or implied. IBM shall not be responsible for any damages arising out of the use of, or otherwise related to, these materials. Nothing contained in these materials is intended to, nor shall have the effect of, creating any warranties or representations from IBM or its suppliers or licensors, or altering the terms and conditions of the applicable license agreement governing the use of IBM software. References in these materials to IBM products, programs, or services do not imply that they will be available in all countries in which IBM operates. Product release dates and/or capabilities referenced in these materials may change at any time at IBM’s sole discretion based on market opportunities or other factors, and are not intended to be a commitment to future product or feature availability in any way. IBM, the IBM logo, the on-demand business logo, Rational, the Rational logo, and other IBM products and services are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation, in the United States, other countries or both. Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Learn more at: IBM Rational software IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform Process and portfolio management Change and release management Quality management Architecture management

IBM AlphaWorks EGL Rich Web Rational trial downloads Leading Innovation Web site developerWorks Rational IBM Rational TV IBM Rational Business Partners

THANKYOU

© 2008 ibm corporation ® extending egl with new cool web 2.0 technologies chris laffra egl rich ui...

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