The Skin-Client technology developed by IAP enables OpenEdge teams to develop SaaS/Cloud (Java, HTML5) applications. It allows multiple UI (Java, HTLM5, .NET, Native Mobile) for Progress OpenEdge using pure 4GL / ABL. That is the biggest advantage against a solution, which is using JavaScript or any other glue language. The OpenEdge Programmer has everything under control.The Wayfare team had the opportunity to be part of the new HTML5 Skin-Client development process, building brick by brick this reliable bridge that moves your OpenEdge application on the Web.Built with the knockout.js framework and the jQuery library, the HTML5 client offers its users a modern and fast Web UI. Also the JQWidgets UI framework is used in conjunction with the knockout framework to offer the best possible user experience that works across a handful of devices and browsers.
Knockout.js allowed us to bind HTML elements against any data model. It provides a simple two-way data binding mechanism between your data model and UI which means any changes to data model are automatically reflected in the DOM (UI).
Advanced features of the HTML5 client where created to reflect the OpenEdge way for formatting data and forms, a virtual document plugin to offer the best performance when rendering a larger UI view, containing multiple widgets and a reliable way to build any UI combining all of the widgets built so far.
With the HTML5 client you can dynamically start and stop/destroy widgets that acts as small parts of your whole application and it’s independent of the backend OpenEdge code.
A Progress backend will send short commands to the Skin-Client. The Skin-Client will render the screens and send back user events like mouse clicks. The communication is done using socket connect or via http/https.
Wayfare helped us in that time as we had been a little short on person resources.
The team is very skilled and educated. Wayfare allowed us to have the program ready
in time. The programmers worked with us, as if they was part of our team – although
they were remote.
Klaus Erichsen – Managing Director, IAP GmbH
Not yet convinced?
Below a very short list of its advantages:
• We use 4GL!
• Developer has full control in his program (not a setting in place a, some code in place b, other code in place c, not to transfer packages or whatever there and back again…)
• Local Development, simple deployment
• Mature concept – first Skin-Client is about 10 years old, that was the Java SC
• Faster than others we have seen
• Easy to learn. Start in minutes.
• Together with OF-1 you have a powerful system for multi UI with designer and so on – but is still standalone
It can be used in the following areas:
• AddOn to existing program (Can be extended with Skin-Client Mobile to the Mobile world, using the same principle)
• Web B2B portals
• Web B2C portals
• Bring a complex program into the web
• Create PaaS/SaaS/Cloud solutions
• Simple Deployment (URL)
• Simple Installation on the server (OE, Tomcat)
• Simple Setup
• Server could be anything like YourServer, Amazon, Linux, Windows, so everything where OE is running)
• Integrate external pages and systems (call Google services or others, integrate GoogleMaps or others)
• predefined Progress like widget-set
• user expandable widget-set
