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Simplifying Delivery of Web 2.0 Solutions with IBM Rational Business Developer and EGL

IBM provides the tools to create rich Web 2.0 solutions

On Dec. 2, IBM announced new capabilities in Rational Business Developer V7.5.1 to simplify the delivery of Web 2.0 applications. With Rational Business Developer and the EGL language, developers are no longer required to learn the complexities of JavaScript, AJAX, XML, Representational state transfer (REST)—or any of the other continually evolving technologies and frameworks required to deliver rich Web applications.

Because EGL can also be used to develop server-side logic, IT organizations can create an end-to-end Web 2.0 solution in a single language. This simplifies development process by reducing the number of technologies developers need to learn, adopt, and keep up with. Because EGL is simple and familiar to traditional developers, organizations are able to train traditional business developers as Web 2.0 application developers in a very short period of time. (For more information, see “EGL 101.”)

Rich Internet Applications and Web 2.0 for Business

Rich Internet applications (RIAs) are designed to provide users with a richer Web experience than traditional Web applications. Users can work with larger amounts of information faster and with less confusion. RIAs can replace traditional desktop applications by providing the comparable capabilities, but are easier to maintain and manage.

In RIAs, the client (the Web browser) performs many of the tasks traditionally performed by a Web or application server—including user input validation, mashing up and presenting relevant information from multiple sources (including data stored in traditional Enterprise Information Systems such as CICS, IMS or DB2), and organizing information in a way that saves the user from continually waiting for new pages to load. Also, a side benefit is reduced server workload, which increases overall server throughput.

RIA, Web 2.0, and SOA

Web 2.0 relies on these RIAs to create richer, Web-based user interfaces that take advantage of the proven capabilities of traditional systems. This is accomplished by leveraging traditional programs and transactions as services. This enables organizations to unlock previously inaccessible data and business logic through the use of open standards.

EGL Rich UI for Web 2.0

EGL Rich UI is the technology that simplifies the creation of Web 2.0 solutions. Rational Business Developer and the EGL language address a number of Web 2.0 complexities, including cross-browser support, easily consuming third-party user interface widget libraries, easily consuming SOAP and REST services (and hiding the complex details from the developer), and using a single, intuitive language for developing back-end and front-end logic. EGL Rich UI shields the developer from the pitfalls of JavaScript, and helps them focus on the business problem that needs to be solved.

Extensibility is a key aspect of EGL Rich UI, and this is demonstrated in EGL’s to consume third-party widget libraries, such as Dojo or Yahoo UI. This enables pre-built widgets, to be reused within EGL Rich UI applications. To the developer, these widgets appear just like any other EGL widget. This simplifies development and enables organizations to use the best widgets from different libraries in a single solution. This makes working with these other widget libraries seamless for the developer.

Leverage existing assets on System z

IBM understands the power and value of service oriented architecture (SOA), which is why service support is built directly into the EGL language. A developer can define a new service using a special “service” keyword and generate it as a SOAP or REST service (and others). The developer only focuses on what the service needs to do—including what functions are needed and the inputs and outputs—and EGL will generate the appropriate code. Since EGL generates standard service interfaces, these services can be consumed in any solution, not just in an EGL solution. Of course, the goal is for organizations to take advantage of EGL’s unique capability to be used for both back-end service and front-end user interface code.

Getting started with EGL Rich UI

Rational Business Developer V7.5.1 includes the tools to build complete, end-to-end Web 2.0 solutions using EGL. EGL Rich UI is also available in IBM Rational Developer for System z with EGL V7.5 and IBM Rational Developer for i for SOA Constructions V7.5.

To learn more about EGL Rich UI, visit the EGL Café—a community site launched in June to provide a unique place for EGL developers to find answers, hear what others are doing, learn new techniques and learn about other complimentary tools and services. The Café now has more than 500 members and is helping to grow the community of EGL developers and partners around the world.

For more information on Rational Business Developer and EGL, visit http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/developer/business/index.html or visit the EGL Café