Web Application Architecture: Principles, Protocols and Practices

Completely revised and updated, this popular book returns with coverage on a range of new technologies. Authored by a highly respected duo, this edition provides an in-depth examination of the core concepts and general principles of Web application development. Packed with examples featuring specific technologies, this book is divided into three sections: HTTP protocol as a foundation for Web applications, markup languages (HTML, XML, and CSS), and survey of emerging technologies. After a detailed introduction to the history of Web applications, coverage segues to core Internet protocols, Web browsers, Web application development, trends and directions, and more.

• Includes new coverage on technologies such as application primers, Ruby on Rails, SOAP, XPath, P3P, and more
• Explores the fundamentals of HTTP and its evolution
• Looks at HTML and its roots as well as XML languages and applications
• Reviews the basic operation of Web Servers, their functionality, configuration, and security
• Discusses how to process flow in Web browsers and looks at active browser pages
• Addresses the trends and various directions that the future of Web application frameworks may be headed

This book is essential reading for anyone who needs to design or debug complex systems, and it makes it easier to learn the new application programming interfaces that arise in a rapidly changing Internet environment.

It is not enough for Web application developers to be proficient in just one platform. As platforms grow and evolve, and as new ones arise, developers must be able to transfer their proficiency across platforms in order to build complex Web applications effectively. This book helps developers understand the underlying core technologies so that they can learn new APIs and application frameworks more quickly.

Web Application Architecture provides an in-depth examination of the basic concepts and general principles associated with Web application development, using examples that illustrate specific technologies. This conceptual knowledge is critical when building and deploying complex systems that are scaleable, extensible, maintainable and reusable. The book explains the underlying protocols and languages that support Web application development, and delineates the best practices associated with building robust applications. It describes mechanisms for providing Web access to heterogeneous data sources including relational databases and multimedia.

The new edition includes brand new and fully updated chapters on:

• Internet protocols - from TCP/IP to HTTP and beyond

• software components - servers, browsers, proxies and agents

• the dynamic web - how web applications present dynamic data

• markup languages – HTML, XML and CSS

• tools, libraries and frameworks - AJAX, Struts, and Ruby on Rails

• search technologies – underlying principles, application design, and SEO

• future directions and emerging technologies – XML Query, RDF, and the Semantic Web

Ideally suited for course usage and self-study, this practical, engaging textbook is essential reading for students, programmers and system architects and designers alike. It provides a comprehensive, timely overview of modern web technology.

Visit the supplementary website at www.wileyeurope.com/college/shklar

Leon Shklar currently works for Thomson Reuters where he is the head of technology for Reuters Media. Previously, Leon headed up the development team for the online edition of the Wall Street Journal at Dow Jones. Prior to joining Dow Jones, he spent six years at Bell Communications Research and almost as long in the world of dot-coms and Internet software. Leon holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rutgers University.

Rich Rosen is a senior developer in the Fixed Income Systems Group at Interactive Data Corporation. Previously, he was an Application Architect at Dow Jones. Rich began his career at Bell Labs, where his work with relational databases and the Internet prepared him the world of Web application development. He is a co-author of Mac OS X for Unix Geeks, 4^th Edition (O'Reilly). Rich holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology.