A proposed framework for an effective integration of supporting environments for smart client application development

Abstract

In the past, traditional clients were built as stand-alone applications that resembled islands of functionality. As a result of this tight coupling between clients and their related applications, software developers/users have become frustrated by the increased complexity involved in the development/usage of client applications. In the late 20th century, the birth of the Internet gave way to the development of thin clients which are easily developed and deployed. However, the trade-off was that its user experience was not as rich as its predecessor and it always had to be connected via network. By evaluating the benefits of both clients, a new type called smart client emerged. The newly-evolved client would be rich in functionality like thick clients and easier for deployment like thin ones. As with any software initiative, a framework is required to provide the necessary guidelines that will lead to the development effort towards the correct goal. The framework would have to be founded on a methodology that becomes the underlying philosophy for all activities. Besides that, the implementation of the framework would have to be based on the effective usage of CASE tools that provide an environment to capture artifacts. These artifacts will eventually be used as the blueprint for development work as well as to provide traceability back to the original request.