The Thick of Things

Okay, let's start getting into the thick of things.

If you are reading this, you probably already have some conception of what a web application is and does. You might even be tasked with setting up a development environment at your office to start producing web applications in support of your business. However, even if you are totally new to the field, don't worry. Web applications are actually pretty simple conceptually. (Note: You might want to check out some of the more introductory tutorials at Web Ware)

Essentially, all web applications do pretty much the same things:

1. Provide a Query Interface - Web Applications provide users with an interface for entering data. The data they enter is usually called a "query" or a "request" because the user-defined data is used to dynamically query or make a request from some service on the web server machine (searching a database, ordering a book, requesting a file).

2. Transmit User-Defined Query - Once collected, the user-data is sent to a web server

3. Perform Server Side Processing - The web server processes the user-data using some sort of "middleware".

4. Massage Data - Processing almost always involves playing with data on the server. The user-defined request specifies how the data should be played with.

5. Transmit Query Results - The processed data is now returned to the client.

6. Perform Client Side Processing - Finally, the returned data is displayed to the user. Display might be as simple as interpreting HTML, or as complex as performing calculations, sorting, or other manipulations of the data.

Consider the following generic web application workflow diagram.

And that's it. As I said, web applications are conceptually very simple!

Of Lego Blocks and Puzzle Pieces
Introduction to the Web Application Development Environment (Tools)
Web Application Examples