I’ve started to think on writing a new framework for client side web development after writing series of articles on JavaScript in Web 2.0.  The intention is to break barrier between the client and server side integration.

Numerous mature technologies/concepts are available under commercial or GPL to provide seamless integration between JavaScript and server side technology.  And of course, these tools have features for developing rich internet applications.

The justifications for developing Humax framework are:

·         A framework which enables you to develop RIA applications in a simple and elegant way.

·         Minimal learning curve.

·         Minimal integration means that it simplifies and tries to provide a unified platform for developing web applications.

The primary difference I’ve focused are the necessary level of abstraction and programmatic approach as like you are working in .NET and Java form application development.

I shall update the roadmap and feedback/feature list later.

I was started the development in end-June 2007 and because of the other stuffs in my leisure time did not allow me to release this as early.

You can download the version 0.1 beta from http://sourceforge.net/projects/humax

Tools of the Trade

I would like to share the tools I have used for the development of Humax v0.1.

Aptana IDE

Though it is not a visual editor, I am using this IDE for writing client side script even for my other works also.  The code profile and dynamic type redefinition features of this IDE provide you full-fledged intelli-sense in JavaScript file.  The JavaScript file skeleton window enables you to manage and navigate the JavaScript files more easily.  It supports JSDoc, provides tooltip syntax for your class and normal HTML/JavaScript elements.

What else you want?  I do not find any other IDE like this in the case of JavaScript.

JSDoc

This tool generates javadoc-style documentation from well-formed JavaScript source files.  It is my favorite document generation tool for JavaScript and I have used this for Humax API reference documentation.

JsUnit and scriptaculous-js

I was bit confused which tool I need to use for unit testing.  In early days of development, I was used “scriptaculous-js”.  It is very simple and does not require more settings to start write and test the “unit test”.  And after a while I am also started using JsUnit. 

Yesterday I have received the “Real World SOA” kit from Microsoft India.  The kit was covered by a cute blue with orange color bordered box with the caption “Microsoft presents Real World SOA – SOA that leverages your existing IT infrastructure”.

After opening the box, I saw a letter from Karun Thareja, Sr. Product Manager in Microsoft India regarding the specialty of the kit.  The kit contains two white papers, one leaflet about BizTalk 2006 and one “Understanding SOA with Web Services” book.

It was surprised for me that other than the above the kit does not contain trial or demo software, feature products leaflet.  The letter by Karun Thareja conveys a clear message that Microsoft is seriously thinking about your IT infrastructure for SOA and of course the feature of its products.

I started to read the whitepaper on “Enabling Real World SOA through the Microsoft Platform”.  Though it was published on December 2006, it briefly explains SOA, its important and the line of products from Microsoft for SOA.  I was pretty impressed the way the whitepaper started.   I’ve read lot of SOA papers from various companies, some of them are not clear about SOA even though they have released tools for SOA.  Some of them presenting SOA in such a way to show it as a complex one as like as rocket science.  This white paper explains SOA and its benefits in a simple manner and helping the people to know where to start and how to start their SOA implementation.  One fine thing I’ve found that Microsoft  recommends to start SOA implementation with “Middle out” strategy with one business need at a time, instead of going with “Top-down” or “Bottom-up” approach.

I am yet to read another one whitepaper “Understanding BizTalk Server 2006” by David Chapell – Chappell & Associates at August 2005.  But hope that it will be good.

Finally, without any explanation, everybody knows the major intention of this kit is “Microsoft BizTalk”.  Why not?