SHF: Small: Modern Web Applications without Callbacks

Brigham Young University, Provo UT

Investigators

Abstract

The project will investigate a new programming model for web programming. Modern Web programming practice typically uses a pattern referred to as "callbacks," which obscures the connection between parts of the Web display and the application logic that corresponds to those parts. This makes Web application development more difficult, expensive and error prone. These problems are, of course, passed on to Web application users. The project's hypothesis is that programming without callbacks will lead to more reliable web applications. Specifically, this research will apply functional reactive data-flow programming techniques to Web 2.0 programming. The first challenge is whether realistic web applications can be programmed at all without callbacks; further progress will lead to improved programming models and tools for the development of web applications. The new programming approaches will be evaluated by assessing the difficulty of programming existing and new web applications while also assessing performance and other measures.