WEB HELPER

Google Docs and other online productivity tools reveal the potential for capturing the look and feel of a desktop application through the web programming model. Keeping the application on the server minimizes configuration and provides a more optimal use of system resources. But the Software as a Service model is not confined to huge and complicated applications on the servers of global giants like Google. Your software service also can be a custom web application running at the local level. Developers use languages like PHP to create small and efficient server-side programs that serve up results in a browser window. For efficient web application development, it makes sense to use the building blocks of a development framework. Several PHP frameworks are available for Linux users – some of which were discussed in the February 2008 “PHP Scripting” issue of Linux Magazine.