Previous | Table of Contents | Next |
Building the linkage programs to tie the Web and enterprise systems into a coherent system involves two similar approaches: augmenting HTML programs and augmenting enterprise programs.
Augmenting HTML Programs. The augmented HTML programs include a data-access subprogram. In addition to the data-access function, many augmented programs may include programs to facilitate interactive input and to merge the enterprise data into pages for presentation. These subprograms may contain SQL statements or procedure codes, called scripts. Examples of these tools or products include DECOUX, SWOOP, OpenUI and OpenWeb, WebDBC, and Open Horizons Connection for Java.
DECOUX supports an augmented form of HTML that includes embedded SQL statements. SWOOP supports the generation and maintenance of Web systems that store information in an ORACLE relational database. The development tools OpenUI and OpenWeb, WebDBC, and Open Horizons Connection for Java are based on the function-call models that let developers integrate prebuilt, vendor-driven key components together using C++ or other nonprogramming tools. These tools are now being investigated for applications such as hotel reservation, payroll, and human resource.
Augmenting Enterprise Programs with Embedded HTML Statements.
Advanced features of HTML, such as forms, are embedded into enterprise programs and are used to capture input transaction data from Web clients. The input data are then fed into enterprise programs for processing. For example, Visual Object COBOL 1.0 by Micro Focus uses CGI to link HTML forms to COBOL programs and therefore let COBOL programs take input from HTML forms.
Besides using the above tools, Java, Suns object-based open-system language, can be used to create the linkage programs to tie key components together. Furthermore, Java is said to be able to create Web-enabling interactive applications from scratch.
As commercial Web sites and users continue to grow at an incredible rate, corporations are faced with an opportunity: Incorporating Web technology into enterprisewide applications to improve their competitiveness in the global market. The following is a list of questions and suggested solutions that address this opportunity:
Regardless of Web technologys effectiveness for certain tasks, the rapid growth of the Web and its impact in the global market should not be viewed lightly. Facing these challenges and thus effectively deploying the Web to empower users requires planning. The following sections expand on the previous suggestions, for better planning.
Corporations should position themselves on the Internets Web by building home pages without any delay. As competitors presences on the Web increase, one way to guarantee the failure of the above challenges is to adopt a wait on it approach.
Simply migrating paper-based product catalogs to the pages and recording CEOs welcome messages is insufficient to attract potential customers to visit the organizations Web sites repeatedly. Corporations need to think new ways to both enhance and expand the pages. These may include:
How the Web is used within a corporation must be planned. Although many applications may be developed based on Web technology, those that involve communication, information sharing, and information distribution should be planned and built first.
As Web technologies continue to mature, the solutions designed to prevent security breaches, stateless transactions, and performance concerns will be gradually available. Thus, corporations must prepare for electronic commerce by making enterprisewide applications including mission-critical applications Web-capable. This may include building Web-capable applications from scratch, linking the enterprise data to the Web, and building the linkages between existing enterprise applications and the Web.
Corporations should identify and plan the projects for electronic commerce. Information reporting or inquiry projects may be built first, because linking SQL databases to the Web will be easier to do. Designing special searching mechanisms on enterprise data will also be necessary for fast inquiry response.
Building the linkages between existing enterprise applications and the Web can be performed next. The proven tools and techniques necessary for building such linkages should be evaluated and selected. Depending on the specific needs of the individual corporations, applications to be linked are ranked.
Both developers and users must accept proper training for the emerging Web technology. Overall, developers and users should understand how the Internet and the Web can be accessed, used to gather information, and implemented to create business opportunities. The users who are responsible for publishing must learn HTML tools to create pages. Developers must learn the development tools to reengineer applications on the Web. Developers mastering the tools, including such programming languages as C++ and Java, will be essential for successful Web-enabled transformation.
Web capabilities are extensive and growing more complex and sophisticated at a rapid rate. To keep abreast of such changes, systems developers must consider such factors as security, transfer protocols and languages, and development tools and environments. All capabilities must be evaluated in context of the enterprise its goals as well as its propensity for risk-taking. Only with a careful weighing of the advantages and disadvantages can an organization move into the technology of the World Wide Web.
Previous | Table of Contents | Next |