This document discusses different strategies for building web applications using the Accelrys Enterprise Platform (AEP). It outlines three main strategies: Form & Result, Dashboard, and Enterprise Application. Form & Result is best for simple applications that focus on running protocols and displaying results. Dashboard adds interactivity with JavaScript and the Data Connector. Enterprise Application employs a third-party JavaScript library to build a fully customized user interface, separate from AEP. The document provides examples and discusses the technologies involved in each approach. It recommends choosing based on requirements complexity, development time, and skill sets, noting that Form & Result is fastest but least customizable, while Enterprise Application is most complex but powerful.

1. (ATS6-DEV02) Web Application
Strategies
James Redfern
Lead Software Engineer
R&D
james.redfern@accelrys.com

2. The information on the roadmap and future software development efforts are
intended to outline general product direction and should not be relied on in making
a purchasing decision.

3. Content
• What strategies are available with AEP?
• How to choose the most appropriate approach?

4. What strategies are available with AEP?
Enterprise App
Software
Developer(s)
Form & Result
Any PP user
Dashboard
PP Developer

5. Project Requirements*
We want to search an SD file using
id and display the compounds in a
table
You have 2 hours
What can you do?
* Hypothetical project

6. We want to search an SD file using
id and display the compounds in a
table
You have 2 hours
What can you do?
Form & Result
Reporting Collection
• Simple Web Port
Application

7. DemoForm & Result Application
• Web Port hosted Reporting Collection Protocols

8. Form & Result – Technology
• Reporting collection / Web Port ...
– provides application container
– gets the values from the form
– runs the work protocol
– puts the result file(s) in a new tab (IFrame)
– provides built-in Help support
• Protocols without custom JavaScript
• Reporting Collection creates the Ext JS table
(grid) for you

9. Form & Result – Key Points
• Simple to get started
• Focus on Solution
• Reporting collection manages complex elements

10. Change Request 1*
Can you add "some drill downs"?
And some interactive charts
showing the property distribution
of the hits?
* Hypothetical change request

11. Dashboard
Reporting Collection with JavaScript
• Use JavaScript to
enhance the Web Port
application
Can you add "some drill downs"?
And some interactive charts
showing the property distribution
of the hits?

12. DemoDashboard Application
• Enhance interactivity with
Data Connector and JavaScript

13. Dashboard - Technology
• Protocols with some simple JavaScript
• Protocol Function & friends
– Run work protocols via Ajax with
no / little custom JavaScript needed
– Exposes / simplifies JavaScript Client SDK to PP Devs

14. Dashboard - Technology
• Data Connector & Scriptable APIs
– Make chart selections talk to tables and vice versa etc
– Simplified way into advanced JS scripting
• Include Ext JS library
– Enhance report with Ext JS features

15. Dashboard – Key Points
• Data Connector increases interactivity
• JavaScript enables customization of solution
• Can include Ext JS
• Too much JavaScript can become unwieldy

16. Change Request 2*
We’d like more powerful searching, while still
being easy to use; our own enterprise search
engine maybe – can you do that?
Searching is great, but it’s the results we’re
really interested in – could we create lists?
And if we have lists, could we have both public
and private ones?
* Hypothetical change request

17. Enterprise Application
• Employ 3rd-party RIA JavaScript Library

18. DemoEnterprise Application
• Taking full control of the application UI

19. Enterprise Application - Technology
Accelrys Enterprise Platform
JavaScript RIA Library
Ajax requests to
REST API
DOM Manipulation
/ Events
JSON / XML / HTML
response

20. Enterprise Application - Technology
• Deployed as AEP package
– JavaScript files – Ext JS scripts / plugins etc
– CSS / images
– Protocols providing JSON encoded content
– Static html page
• Build process + IDE integration - Ant
• Under version control
AEP
Package

21. Enterprise Application – Key Points
• Simplifies Deployment
• Separates Service / UI
– UI Maintainability
– No AEP / Pipeline Pilot knowledge required for UI

22. Who Implements the UI?
Form & Result Dashboard Enterprise App
Reporting Collection UI
Protocols are BLUE & GREEN:
RIA JavaScript UI
Protocols are BLUE:

23. Who Implements the UI?
Protocol only 3rd party RIA Library
• Use of Standard Development Tools
• JavaScript Maintainability
• Ease of collaboration
• Highly customizable UI
• REST API supports multiple clients
• Simple setup
• Speed of development
• Robust UI code
• No JavaScript / Ext JS skills required

24. Which one should I use for my app?
Form & Result Dashboard Enterprise App
• How complex are my requirements?
• How much time do I have?
• What are my skill sets?
Complexity, Time, Skillslow high
It depends…

25. • (ATS6-DEV03) for a detailed look at Enterprise Application
• (ATS6-DEV05) to further explore using the Reporting
Collection for developing Web Applications
• (ATS6-DEV06) to see how to deliver bundled applications
in packages
Next Steps?