Why Web Applications

Why web applications?

The kind of application we can develop using java SE are

1. Stand-alone application
2. Distributed application

Stand-alone application are two types

1. Console application (GUI)
2. Desktop application (GUI)

Stand-alone application can provide service to one client at a time.

1. To provide service to more clients, client/server model is introduced. This type of application in java are called distributed applications.
2. In java socket programming is introduced (java networking) to create distributed application in java.
3. In socket programming, client application is installed in multiple systems across network, to connect with a server application.
4. In socket programming some problems are identified
5. Client application is need to be installed at each client system. To take with a server.
6. If a server location is changed then each client application is need to be modified separately.
7. To run the client application client software is also need to be installed at client side.

To overcome the above problem, we got web applications.
In case of web application, we have the following advantages.

1. No need to install client application of client-side just browser is enough.
2. Even though a server location is changed but a client system can connect with the server.
3. No special software is required at client-side.

Finally web applications will provide service more number of clients across internet.

What is web application?

1. A web application is a server side application that runs on a server and provides services to client across the globe.
2. A web application is a server and produces web pages onto a browser.

What a web Application contains?

A web application contains two types of resources

1. Static or passive resources
2. Dynamic or active resource.

1. Passive resource are the files which always run on a browser.
2. Active resource are those files which always run on a server.

For example: on html page is a passive resource, which runs on a browser. A server is an active resource, which runs on a server.

1. A web application, which comprises only static resource are called static or presentation-oriented web application.
2. A web application, which comprises both static and dynamic or only dynamic resource are called dynamic or service-oriented web application.

1. For example : online tutorial contains only static resource. So it is a static web application.
2. For example: gmail.com is a web application, which provides service like mailing and charting. So it is a dynamic web application.
3. To create a dynamic web application both client side and server side technologies are used but to create a static web application only client side technologies are used.
4. Client side technologies ate html, css, java script.
5. Server side technologies are servlet, JSP, ASP, PHP, Cold fusion etc.
6. A dynamic web application creation and execution need following
7. A browser to send a request
8. A client and server side technologies to create a web application.
9. A serve to host a web application.
10. A database for storing / reading data.