DreamFactory Software has begun shipping its
DreamFactory 6.0 suite of browser-based tools for developing rich
client user interfaces for enterprise web applications powered by
XML documents and web services.
The tools are intended to streamline UI design, enhance user
experience, reduce network traffic and reduce development costs by
enabling the aggregation of multiple data sources on a single
browser page. No additional server software is needed.
The company's approach is to enable delivery of software as a
service by aggregating eternal information sources into
"information centres".
The product can inspect WSDL, Soap and XML assets used for
communication to provide for troubleshooting of integration
problems and maintaining web applications that use XML. Secure
remote access to any service-based web applications can be achieved
via DreamFactory.
Included in Version 6.0 is the DreamFactory Runtime engine,
which is designed to provide front-end user interface authoring and
display capabilities for service-oriented architectures. The
product's IDE supports skills used in VBScript, ECMAScript and
JavaScript.
Development is supported on J2EE and .net platforms. An XML web
services communications model is implemented to support integration
with different application servers and enterprise software
packages.
Projects can be deployed like web pages but run with detailed
user interfaces like traditional applications.
DreamFactory 6.0 functions on all versions of Macintosh and
Windows systems and also as a Netscape Plug-In or ActiveX control
in all major web browsers. Projects can be delivered as standalone
applications or as an embedded MIME type for e-mail, Word and
Excel.
The company has also unveiled SBuilder, a tool for the
construction of client interfaces on the salesforce.com sforce 2.0
on demand application server platform. Salesforce.com provides
online CRM services.
DreamFactory's technology enables users to bolt on additional
functionality to Salesfore.com, said Mike Kreaden, director of
product and technology alliances at Salesforce.com.
"It's a new and novel way of extending Salesforce.com without
having to have additional servers," Kreaden said.
Available from 1 February, SBuilder provides drag-and-drop
construction of interactive user interface components connected to
sforce 2.0 web services APIs. It enables salesforce.com customers
to integrate external services and custom objects to extend
salesforce.com and build interactive applications.
Paul Krill writes for Infoworld