Analysis of Java Client/Server and Web Programming Tools for Development of Educational Systems

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of old and new programming tools for development of client/server programs, particularly World Wide Web-based programs. The focus is on development of educational systems that use interactive shared workspaces to provide portable and expandable solutions. The paper begins with a short description of relevant terms. A traditional approach is presented that uses dynamic HTML (HyperText Markup Language) pages generated by CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripts, and drawbacks of this approach are described. Next, the paper discusses an object-oriented approach to the development of client/server programs using Java, in particular, the development of distributed systems with the help of tools such as sockets, RMI (Remote Method Invocations) and CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture). Traditional and new Web servers are compared. Finally, recommendations are made on which tools should be used for development of educational systems. Contains 21 references. (Author/AEF)