OpenThought 0.71

OpenThought is a Web Application Environment which doesnt require page reloads.

SYNOPSIS

use OpenThought();

my $o = OpenThought->new( $OP );

my $field_data;
$field_data->{myTextBox} = "Text Box Data";
$field_data->{myCheckbox} = "true";
$field_data->{myRadioBtn} = "RadioBtnValue";
$field_data->{mySelectList} = [
[ "text1", "value1" ],
[ "text2", "value2" ],
[ "text3", "value3" ],
];

my $html_data;
$html_data->{id_tagname} = "New HTML Code";

print $o->serialize({
fields => $field_data,
html => $html_data,
focus => "myTextBox",
javascript => $javascript_code
});

OpenThought is a powerful and flexible web application environment. OpenThought applications are different from other web applications in that all communication between the browser and the server is performed in the background. This gives a browser the ability to receive data from the server without ever reloading the currently loaded document. Data received can be displayed automatically on the existing page, can access JavaScript functions and variables, and can load new pages. Additionally, OpenThought completely manages all of your session data for you. These features give the look and feel of a full-blown application instead of just an ordinary Web page.

OpenThought is extended with OpenPlugin, also described briefly in this documentation.

OpenThought works by communicating with the server through the use of a hidden frame. Now some may say "Frames? Youre using frames??" No need to fret though, the frame is completely hidden. There is no visible way for your users to tell that they are using an application which makes use of frames.

This hidden frame performs all communication with the server for you, and allows your browser to talk to the server without reloading the content currently visible in your web browser. This is how OpenThought can update portions of the screen, and how the server can run JavaScript code in the browser, all without reloading the page.

Any time an OpenThought application is loaded, a unique session id is generated for that user. Each time communication takes place between the browser and server, OpenThought is careful to make sure that this session id is sent along with the request. There is nothing you need to do to make this work, it is done for you. When youre programming your application, you can always expect a session id to be sent to the server, and you can easily retrieve it along with the rest of the data sent by the browser.

In addition to being able to update portions of a screen, you can also load new pages within the content frame. If you choose to load new pages, your session continues to be maintained.

OpenThought gives you an easy way of tieing together multiple web pages, and allows you to build web applications which act like "real" applications. When an application is required, some people would decide to build it in Tk, Visual Basic, Gtk, or any number of other systems which offer a visual interface. But then, your application is either not available on the web, or you have to create a seperate web interface to interact with the backend.

Have you ever tried to create a web interface which minics the interface of a non-web based application? The web based application no longer looks or acts like your other interface, it acts like an ordinary webpage. It probably uses several screens to get the same amount of content that your application offered in one.

By not ever needing to reload the page, OpenThought offers this application look and feel thats been missing from the web. This allows you to create just one interface, for both LAN and web use.