WebSphere, Wizards, and the Web: WebSphere, Wizards, and the Web: Hiding the Complexity of Hiding the Complexity of Application DevelopmentApplication Development

Larry NewhouseInformation Systems Leader

Iowa State UniversityADP Center

2nd Floor ASBAmes, IA 50011(515) 294-8290

(515) 294-0290 (Fax)ldnewho@iastate.edu

Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa

Enrollment: 27,823Public Land Grant University

Dennis McCarvilleSystems Analyst II

Iowa State UniversityADP Center

2nd Floor ASBAmes, IA 50011(515) 294-0217

(515) 294-0290 (Fax)dmccarv@iastate.edu

Iowa State University Statistics

Established 1858 - 1st Land-Grant College

Fall 2001 Enrollment 27,823

Total Faculty & Staff 6,157

Number of Colleges 9

01-02 Revenues $728,265,000

Campus Acres 2,000

ADP Center Overview

Staff - 86 P&S, 14 Merit, 25 students

Support - 54 Networks,

2579 PCs

115,000,000 records

9,400 programs

Process daily:

273,000 On-line transaction

300 Batch jobs

100 Help Center Calls

Quiz

I write my own JSP’s, Servlets, and/or XML in notepad.

I’m learning and can use all the help I can get.

I use/need a wizard

to get started

writing JSP, Servlet

or XML code.

Overview

Development Environment

Changes / Education

Details of applications

Future

Data Access Model

UNIX30,000+ clients

TN32701800+ clients

NT

100+ Clients

TCP/IP

Analyst Desktop Central Server

Programs

Application Router

Program

ApplicationProgram(s)

Batch/COBOL

CICS/COBOL

DB2 Production/

Security Database

DevelopmentTools

Business Logic

Web Application Model

HT

TP

Server

WebSphere Application Server

ConnectionBean

JavaServer Pages

Analyst Desktop

Presentation Logic

CTG

Central Server

DB2 Database

CICS/COBOL

Programs

Application Router

Program

ApplicationProgram(s)

Batch/COBOL

TCP/IP

DevelopmentTools

Business Logic

DevelopmentTools

DevelopmentTools

Mo

del V

iewC

on

troller

JavaServer Pages

JavaServer Pages

HT

TP

Server

WebSphere Application Server

ConnectionBean

JSP -WML

Analyst Desktop

Presentation Logic

CTG

Central Server

DB2 Database

CICS/COBOL

Programs

Application Router

Program

ApplicationProgram(s)

Batch/COBOL

TCP/IP

DevelopmentTools

Business Logic

DevelopmentTools

DevelopmentTools

Mo

del V

iewC

on

troller

JSP -Small Html

JSP -Browser

AccessPlus

Your personalized secure university information resource allowing students, faculty, and staff to

access frequently requested university information and services.

Current AccessPlus screenshot

Next version of AccessPlus

SectionsNavigation

Menu Application Data / Keys

Dual Platform Integration

Delivered Content

AccessPlus(accessplus.iastate.edu)

-2,000,0004,000,0006,000,0008,000,000

10,000,00012,000,00014,000,00016,000,000

96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02AccessPlus Transactions

Question of Structure!

Do we change the organization Structure?

Do we modified the ‘roles’ of existing Staff?

Do some of both

Tuning Staff Structure

Application Development

Computer and Network Systems

Internal Systems

Office Information Systems

New TechnologyNew Technology

Understanding Mindsets

Staff Mindset Analyst Client Designer

Application Mindset TN3270 Business Applications Web ‘Request/View’ Applications Web ‘Business’ Applications

Choices, choices…Object-Oriented Design (OO)

Java Beans

Java ServletsJava Server

Pages (JSP’s)

Enterprise Java Beans (EJB’s)

Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)

CICS/COBOL

Java

Java scrip

t

Decisions Made

WebServer: WebSphere Application Server

Desktop VisualAge for Java & WebSphere Studio Family HomeSite/FrontPage 2000

Business logic on the central system Upgrade desktops as needed Identify/develop training Enhance support areas

Servers, desktop software, help desk, client

First stop: Training

Self taught

Process & Reference Information

In-house WebSphere Class

In-house Experts

Process & Reference Information

Standards I/O limits, page size limits, transaction size Many applications on shared platform Shared code, generators

Application Development Check List Generators / Wizards: COBOL, JSP & Data Streams Source Control process Website/Application: Help System

Application Developer Resources Web, Books, Magazines, Videos, In-house Library

Application Developer Resources

Code Examples Javascript library

How do I… Connect to AccessPlus from external pages Link to an external page from AccessPlus Format numeric data Pass data between pages

WebSphere training References

HTML, JSP, Javascript, Servlets, etc.

Educational links

WebSphere Training Plan

Introduction to WebSphere

HTML

Components / Process Overview

Wizard and VisualAge for Java tool (Now WebSphere Studio Application Developer)

Testing and Publishing to Server

Expectations for staff in training

Immediate project assignment

Group development discussion / interaction

Feedback on available resources Suggest new

Contributions: Libraries (Java Script, templates, procedures)

Wizard Improvements

Next Steps …

Accomplished: Platform / model decision Development tools Training Graphic assistance

Now we need to: Unhide the code Streamline the processes Enhance debugging options

WEB Design Application Challenges

Data Dictionary System Documentation Business Logic DB2

WEB Design Presentation Challenges

Screen Size Browsers Accessibility / ADA compliance

Americans with Disabilities Act Mockups

Systems Development Checklist

Application View

Exploded View

SystemMenu Data Presentation

Key Fields

A+ Navigation

Wizard Expectations

Standard Code Rapid Application Development Shorter Learning Curve Source Language

Occurs Redefines

Staff-Wizards Why use code generators?

Shorter learning curve for staff History of in-house developed code generators

and standards Our code generator

Input COBOL copybook Generates RecordBean Generates JSP Creates Help framework

The Wizard – Servelets/JSPs & Record Beans

Data TranslationOnce per COBOL copybookMaps the copybook fields to the JSP

Initialize PageDisplay HeadingDisplay Footing

Let’s take a tour of our wizard

Process Flow: JSP to COBOL

Process Flow: COBOL to JSP

Anatomy of an ADP JSP

JSP Flow of Control Before the COBOL

Beans Instantiated

<jsp:useBean id="CONN" class="connect.CicsConnBean" scope="session"/>

Initialize Connection BeanCONN.cicsCreateCommarea(R4920V1C.getICommareaLength());

Initialize Record BeanR4920V1C.setR4920_VRSN(CONN.getDatatrans(), "01");

Execute COBOLCONN.cicsExecute(strProgram);

Anatomy of an ADP JSP

JSP Flow of Control After the COBOL

Local Java Variables Loaded

R4920_T_SUB =

R4920V1C.getR4920_T_SUB(CONN.getDatatrans());

Session Key Variables Setsession.putValue("r490studentssn",R4920_STDNT_SSN);

Data is Presented<td>Student Name <%=R4920_STDNT_NAME%></td>

Debugging Points

Connection (Data Passing) COBOL Business Logic Java Script JSP – Java Server Page

System.out.println Debugger

Session Values

Completing the Process

Integrating the check-in/check-out process Know who’s working on the code Team development!!! Validating code (HTML, JSP, etc) prior to check-in Defining the ‘package’ that makes up the transaction

COBOL JSP HTML Record Bean Servlet

Developer’s Resources

Continued improvements

Model Evolution Impacts on Application Development! Wizards Complexity

Make it easier to Develop Make it easier to understand Make it easier to Deliver

Training, training, training,…

What does to future hold?

Implementing the New AccessPlus Look

Single Sign-on

E-commerce

ISU portal pilot 

Questions?