Java Framework for Database-Centric Web Engineering

Presentation given at WebE 2001, 4th Workshop on Web Engineering (in conjunction with 10th International World Wide Web Conference), Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT: We present a database-centric approach to web site development in which both application and web content data are managed by a database. The development process is based on three main stages of information modelling, document content design and presentation specification. A Java framework based on the OMS object-oriented data management system has been developed to support the development life cycle from rapid prototyping through to operation. We describe how the framework supports access from heterogeneous clients and how it has been extended to include a web content manager.

Research paper: https://beatsigner.com/publications/signer_WebE2001.pdf

Transcript

1. Java Framework for Database-
   Centric Web Site Engineering
   Beat Signer, Michael Grossniklaus and Moira C. Norrie
   {signer, grossniklaus, norrie}@inf.ethz.ch
   Institute for Information Systems
   ETH Zurich
   

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2. Outline
   • Motivation
   • OMS Database Development Suite
   • XML Server Component
   • Customised Applications
   • Content Management Server
   

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3. Motivation
   • Current web interfaces to DB systems are
   ▪ Based on HTML and related technologies
   ▪ Optimised for large displays (> 640x480 pixels)
   • Trend to new types of devices with different
   browser capabilities
   ▪ WebPads, Handhelds (Palm, Handspring,... ), WAP-
   enabled mobile phones, NTT DoCoMo's I-Mode
   phones, Digital TV, ...
   ▪ Not suited for 1:1 rendering of most existing web sites
   

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4. Motivation...
   • Generic database interface instead of developing
   a new interface from scratch for every device type
   ▪ Use a technology which allows the separation of
   content from its presentation (XML)
   ▪ Rendering (XSL) based on the user agent type
   requesting the data
   

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5. OMS Database Development Suite
   Application Modelling
   OM
   Semantic Object Data Model
   Database & Application
   Design
   OMS Pro
   Rapid Prototyping System
   and Lightweight DBMS
   Implementation
   OMS Java
   Data Management System
   & Application Framework
   

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6. DB-Centric Web Site Development
   Information Model
   Document Content
   Document
   DB with
   Generic Browsers
   DB with
   Defaut Templates
   DB with Customised
   Templates
   

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7. XML Server Component
   OMS Java API
   OMS Java Workspace
   XML Servlet HTML Servlet WML Servlet
   Main Entry Servlet
   XML Server
   XML
   Browser
   HTML
   Browser
   WML
   Browser
   Delegation
   Builds XML
   based on JDOM
   XML + XSLT
   → Response
   

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8. Example
   XML Response
   
   
   
   
   
   Beat
   
   …
   
   /images/ETH/beat.jpg
   
   
   …
   
   
   
   Attributes
   Types
   Methods
   Links
   

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9. Application Development
   1. Prototype the OM model in OMS Pro
   2. Export to OMS Java
   • DDL (Data Definition Language), DML (Data
   Modification Language)
   3. Installation of XML Server with default XSL
   stylesheets and servlets
   4. Optional customisation of stylesheets and
   servlets
   

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10. Community Agenda
    

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11. Existing Solutions
    • Conventional content
    management systems
    • Document elements are
    stored in a DB
    • Databases brought to the
    web
    • Close relation between
    database type and page
    Document Based Approach Data Based Approach
    

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12. Content Management Server
    Application
    Objects
    CMComponents
    CMTemplates
    CMWorkflows CMGatekeepers
    CMContents
    

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13. Content Management Server...
    

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14. CMPage
    CMContainer
    CMNavigation
    CMContainer
    Content Management Server...
    CMText
    CMPicture
    CMText
    CMText
    GlobisEvent
    CMMixed
    CMMixed
    CMPicture
    CMText
    CMText
    CMLink
    

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15. Content Management Server...
    

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16. Conclusion
    • Database-Centric Web Engineering
    ▪ Support entire development process
    ▪ Manage document content and application objects
    • OMS Java Framework
    ▪ High-Level Data Management
    ▪ XML Server
    ▪ Content Management
    

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