dWebSpec Why dWebSpec? It could be asked,with all the web application alternatives

To understand the essence of dWebSpec We have to journey through some historic aspects of application specification and modeling

Analysis & SpecificationDesignImplementation It has been a well-known and long established tenet, in the computer field, to separate specification from coding and implementation. The software development cycle would involve the following phases

The specification becomes the blueprint for implementation Specification Document Implementation code Just like the architectural plans are blueprints for construction

Model Driven Architecture Model Drive Architecture (MDA) or Development (MDD) expand specifications into robust models, that provides for –Specifications that are platform independent –Which could be used for specifying or selecting implementation platforms –Process for transforming specifications into platform specific implementations

UML UML – Universal Modeling Language, is usually in the middle of such modeling architecture Use Case Class Diagram Activity Diagram

UML Modeling Despite the effectiveness of UML, it does not provide for useful or robust modeling of dynamic web applications. There have been several extensions introduced, that fall short of the comprehensive model needed, for such applications. Furthermore other schemes, like the Rapid Application Development (RAD), are not effective for very large scale applications, since they skip the foundation laying precursory phases. The analogy is construction without plans. Web applications are usually broken down to 3 areas of concerns, Model, View and Controller (MVC). It is in the View tier that the inadequacies in UML usage is very pronounced.

Dynamic Web Specification The Model and Controller tiers are easily modeled with the UML diagrams and artifacts. The void is mostly in the View tier. Most of the void is in the View tier Model objects and logic are captured with class, state, collaborative, and similar diagrams. Controller activities are captured with sequence, activity diagrams or use case narratives.

dWebSpec In filling this void, dWebSpec first recognizes the further division of areas of concerns within the View tier, as listed below: –Static Presentation The look and feel of the page –Dynamic Presentation Server effects and behaviors applied to the page –Data binding Sources and destinations of data for page elements –Events Events sources on the page, and the server side handlers –Navigation Paths traversable from the page, and rules of navigation Adequate provision for specification capture for each of these areas is then provided.

dWebSpec It is this modeling scheme for the View tier, and its integration with the specifications for the rest of the layers, that would form the overall comprehensive model for dynamic web applications. dWebSpec Model objects and logic are captured with class, state, collaborative, and similar diagrams. Controller activities are captured with sequence, activity diagrams or use case narratives.

dWebSpec dWebSpec provides means of specification for dynamic web applications. Filling the void that exists, owing to the absence of such facilities in the UML modeling scheme, whereas closely integrating with it. Also allowing the application of Model Driven Architecture or Development, to the development of dynamic web applications. To answer the question, why dWebSpec

dWebSpec dWebSpec delivers on the promises of Model Driven Architecture (MDA), as listed below: –Specifications that are platform independent –Which could be used for specifying or selecting implementation platforms –Process for transforming specification into platform specific implementation These are illustrated as follows.

Platform Independent Specification dWebSpec allows for robust specifications that are platform independent

Useful for Platform Selection The features in the specifications could be used to evaluate different platforms Validation Server side Client side Multiple field dependency Standard validators (range, type, max, min., regular expression, etc.) Standard validator errors Customizable & internationalized error messages Custom validators Field level and form level validation events Validation groups Domain or object scoped attribute validation Page scoped field validation Page within a sequence (Wizard) validation Validation Server side Client side Multiple field dependency Standard validators (range, type, max, min., regular expression, etc.) Standard validator errors Customizable & internationalized error messages Custom validators Field level and form level validation events Validation groups Domain or object scoped attribute validation Page scoped field validation Page within a sequence (Wizard) validation

Translation into Platform Specific Implementation Apart from the precise specification capture, the final implementation is mostly reduced to a translation process. Specification Document Translation Implementation code & configurations

dWebSpec As we have demonstrated, dWebSpec provides a powerful means of specification capture. There are also guides provided for converting specification into platform specific implementation. For detail guide visit Application notes are also published specific to major web platforms and frameworks.