DEWDROPEducating students for the future

of web development

John Beidler

Computing Sciences, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510 ,

USAE-mail: beidler@cs.scranton.edu

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP

• Background

• PNA Project

• A Web Development Course

• DEWDROP and other courses

• Conclusions

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP (Background)

• 1997 – First offered as a Special Topics Course

• 1998-1999 – Course growth

• 2000 – Offered as a regular course, Cmps 356

• 2002 – DEWDROP

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP (Background)• 1997 – First offered as a Special Topics Course

– Client side: Javascript emphasis– CGI: Know the standard, use it– Server side:

• Resources required– Environmental variables

– String processing (Reg. Expr.)

– System resources

– Call other programs

– Access to data representations

• Perl (or tcl) emphasized as a convenience

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP (Background)• 1998-1999 – Course growth

– Strong reuse emphasis• Javascript libraries

• Standardized use of CGI interface

• Perl reuse using “require”.

– PNA Project– Beginning of web development with OO

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP (Background)

• 2000-2001 – Offered as a regular course, Cmps 356– OO based reuse

• 2002 – DEWDROP

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

The PNA Project• Joint project

– U. of Scranton – Comp. Sci.– Marywood U. – Dietetics and Nutrition

• USDA Nutrition Database

• Daily diet analysis– Currently, 1 to 2 hours per day w. dietitian– Goal, < 15 minutes per day w/o dietitian

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

The PNA Project• Web based (www.scranton.edu/pnap)

– Client Modules• Daily diet control/analysis

• Calorie expenditure

• Personal Information

• Nutrition Targets

– Dietitian/Health care modules

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

The PNA Project• Web based (www.scranton.edu/pnap)

– Client Modules– Dietitian/Health care modules

• Set client targets

• View client diaries

• Improved (asynchronous) correspondence via the web and email

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

A Web Development Course

• Essential resources required– Environmental variables– String processing– File/directory processing– Resource access

• Concept dependence, not programming language dependence.

• Using objects to develop a combined client-side, server-side view.

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

A Web Development Course

• Low level intro to server side– Base choice on need

• RE capable

• Associative memory capable

– Prefer Perl or tcl

• Integrated view– Single resource combining client/server views– PHP is one alternative

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

A Web Development Course

• Why Apache/PHP combination– Price – $0.00– Availability

• MS windows

• UNIX platforms

– Compatibility between platforms

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

A Web Development Course

• What about Apache/PHP/database– Apache/PHP/MySQL– Apache/PHP/PostGres

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP and other courses• Web - Network – Database Courses

– Chicken and egg problem

• Which course is “easier”? More marketable?– Use it to feed the other two– No formal pre/co-requisite structure

• The Web course feeds the Network and the Database courses– Web as network protocol– Role of database in web’s future

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP and other courses• The Database course feeds the web course

– Use of Java servlets to create a simple (web) front end to databases.

• The Network course feeds the web course– See the web from under the hood– Unix/Apache web security

• Good – Linux/Apache

• Better – FreeBSD/Apache

• Best – VMS/Apache

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

DEWDROP and other courses• Is security important?

– Sept. 2001 – Code red and nimda virus attacks– U. of Scranton web servers

• 3 MS-based, 2 participated, including www.Scranton.edu

• 11 unix based, 0 participated

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

Conclusions

• If you are teaching HTML, you are not teaching Web Development.

• If you are teaching Javascript, you are not teaching Web Development.

• If you are teaching Perl, you are not teaching Web Development.

• If you are teaching PHP, you are not teaching Web Development.

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

Conclusions

• If you are teaching vendor specific resources, you are not teaching Web Development.

• If you are teaching ASP, you may get bit by a snake.

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

Conclusions

• Web Development must include the basics

• Web Development must include standards

• Web Development must be recognize patterns

• Web Development must be object based

• Web Development must be proceed towards using a database

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

Conclusions

• Web Development must include security issues – There is no IIS equivalent to SUExec

• Web Development must be based on international standards (Apache > 50%)

• Web Development must include software reuse

October 12, 2001 John Beidler - University of Scranton

Conclusions

Database

Enhanced

Web

Development with

Reusable

Objects and

Patterns