FridayBlowout

The value of having applications that are easier to access and use became apparent with the appearance of more functionalities in the popular systems. In fact, this has become the most important concern for many programmers. The concern was well-placed. As the usage of the Internet exploded, so did the importance of providing rich user experience. This introduced different concepts, techniques and programming models that were not available in the past. Lightweight programming made Web 2.0 easier yet simple to use.

What is lightweight programming?

Lightweight programming is the type of programming characterized by increased accessibility for its  creators and users. It is designed to adapt to any changes, especially when there is a need to make room for
improvement. It isn’t a science – at least, not yet – and in fact, programmers use the alternate term ‘sloppy
programming’ because its methods are not exact.

Lightweight programming is developed using the needs of users and the collaborative nature of much of the content that appears online as basis. It added the content and message sharing based model to the standard Internet-based communications protocols. This model is called REST, short for Representational State Transfer.

REST is a web-based interface using HTTP and XML and has gained a large following due to its simplicity. It
gradually edged out the older object-oriented and transactional system users were so used to. REST is the
reason why users can access and forward large amounts of data in any file type. It is also capable of supporting gateways and proxies and is flexible enough to be used by multiple clients.

Lightweight programming features significantly in Web 2.0. It appears in many of the technologies being used today. One of the best examples is probably RSS, a very simple application (which appropriately explains the name) that is used in nearly every content-driven website and blog seen today.

Some of the more popular tools of lightweight programming are available in many open source environments. These include SOAP, REST and of course, XML.

Lightweight programming was born out of two ideas: Linus’ Law and Raymond’s essay titled ‘The Cathedral and the Bazaar’. Linus’ Law states that ‘Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow’. This principle highlights the tendency for flaws and errors to be easily seen if more people view something.

A similar principle is echoed in Raymond’s essay, which posits that it is easier and more productive to try to
develop a code in a bazaar (where there is a prevalent openness in the environment) than in a cathedral (where codes are often locked), made available only each time the manufacturer or vendor decides to release a new version of the software. This practice significantly limits the end-users’ capability to access newer and
better services and applications.

The advantage of lightweight programming

Lightweight programming makes Web 2.0 technologies more readily available. This allows more people to access and use them, making the use of information that much faster. Lightweight programming has also made Web 2.0 flexible and quicker to implement. It also proved to be surprisingly easy to manage. Best of all, it was functional. It offered users many unprecedented uses that promoted a more exciting and productive computing and Internet experience.

Web 2.0 applications are built based on models using lightweight programming principles. This allowed for the creation of compositable and composable applications. Consider, for example, how some services and applications can be developed through ‘mashups’ and even re-used. With Web 2.0 riding on lightweight programming, this and numerous other functionalities have become much easier to access and benefit from.

Here is where this lesson ends for today. We really hope you enjoyed this lesson too.

You will receive the next lesson in 7 days. Next week’s lesson will have the following title:

“Top 5 of the Coolest Web 2.0 Widgets You Can Use for Your Website”

Copyright(C) 2008 by John Delavera & Reimund Lube

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