►Suggestion◄ Extending/Expanding Aware as full REST service!

BenHayat

AwareIM is not only a great full application toolset that provides a complete 360 degree integrated development system, but also with a complete backend server built into the system.
This server side toolset, similar to other technologies like ASP.Net and PHP and others, are great for certain markets, however that market is being replaced by new independent frontend and backend systems.

Anyone who is keeping up with industry, sees how so many companies are already into shifting from server side model to Server service [RESTful] and client side like Anugular 2.0. This model offers total separation of concern and allows extensible systems that are independent.

This means, not only you have to invest allot of time building client sides, but also building backend REST services with complex data access layers, business access layers and security systems, before the frontend systems can use it.

As I have worked extensively with AwareIM in the past two years, I have developed a great appreciation for the amount of work that has gone into the backend system. This system currently is a work of art as a server side Web engine to produce great UI as well too.

My suggestion to AwareSoft: As the trend from server side to client side is shifting rapidly, I strongly suggest for AwareSoft, to make necessary changes to make AwareIM as a true and native RESTful service that follows the true HTTP verbs and REST structure of any other REST service that any client can communicate with. This also needs to include proper security/authentication/authorization, proper routing based on HTTP verbs, full error handling and callbacks to client and basically making Aware as a "First class citizen" than a proprietary server as it is now.

AwareIM has allot of fantastic features as server that can be exposed to new generation of clients and I hope AwareSoft, will stay with this new generation of software development as it's becoming the next trend. AwareIM can be used by many companies who need powerful services. This direction (since Aware is just responding to get/set data) can handle allot more clients that the current system.

I hope we get a complete and detail reply from Awaresoft, about taking AwareIM to a "Native/Standard" REST based protocol system. Otherwise, just like other server side technologies, Aware will be considered as a legacy system and that is a huge disservice to AwareIM as a product.

Hope this helps!

weblike

BenHayat wrote
This also needs to include proper security/authentication/authorization, proper routing based on HTTP verbs, full error handling and callbacks to client and basically making Aware as a "First class citizen" than a proprietary server as it is now.

Hope Support will consider this in future releases.

BLOMASKY

I see Aware's value add in the fact it is very very very fast to develop, debug and perhaps most important to change application logic, and the UI. The backend is transparent in the fact we don't have to write any "stinkin" Insert, creates, updates, etc. etc. Also, all rest engines I have seen / used are using plan SQL tables. (be it MSSQL, Oracle, MYSql, etc.) There is no "engine" with the db design like Aware has.

Last time I checked, there are about a zillion (more or less) REST solutions to Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD). Pick PHP, NodeJS, etc. etc. (I just installed a real time telemarketing system using Sencha for the front end, and Node to communicate with MSSQL on the back end.

Since REST is stateless (in other words, each call stands alone, there is no way to leverage the features we have in process in REST. (at least, not any better than just calling the SQL to do that.). Lets make it easy peasy. If I have a Customer BO why would I want to call Aware to do the CRUD, when, for a lot less weight (memory) I can use Node or PHP or ??? to perform the calls? They are boiler plate, so once you have an INSERT tuned to your liking, you just pass parameters for the table name, attributes, etc. when you need to work with a diff. SQL table. Using Aware to be a front end for REST seems like overkill.

HOWEVER. I would like to be able to place REST calls to retrieve (or update, etc.) data on other servers.

Aware is the speed champ when building, designing systems. I would hope support focuses on that.

Again, just my 0.02 cents worth. I might be wrong... Usually am.

Bruce

johntalbott

REST services can be used for any operation, meaning not strictly CRUD. In the case of Aware, everything from the rules engine on back to the database could stay the same. So the rules engine still is there to apply business logic, handle transactions, talk to db.

XYZ system and/or decoupled UI <----> REST API <---- > AIM Rules Engine <----> Database

REST services would just provide APIs for calling Aware processes and passing data. Any UI or other system could consume the services.

BenHayat

johntalbott wrote
REST services would just provide APIs for calling Aware processes and passing data. Any UI or other system could consume the services.

Well said, John!

aware_support

You can already communicate with the backend using AJAX and XML. This is not quite the same as REST because the request can only be sent from the browser (it relies on the browser to send the cookie of the currently logged in user and so avoids authentication).