In computing, a web application is a client-server computer program in which the client (including the user interface and client-side logic) runs in a web browser. Common web applications include webmail, online retail sales, online auctions, instant messaging services, and many other functions. The general distinction between a dynamic web page of any kind and a web application is not clear cut. Websites that are likely to be referred to as web applications are those that have similar functionality to a desktop software application or mobile application. Single page apps are more like an app because they reject the more typical web paradigm of moving between different pages with different URLs.

Technologies

There are two main categories of coding, scripting, and programming for building web applications:

I. Client-side scripting/coding: Client-side scripting is the type of code that is executed or interpreted by browsers.

Client-side scripts are generally visible to any site visitor (from the View menu, click “View Source” to view the source code).

Here are some common client-side scripting technologies:

1) HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

2) CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

3) JavaScript

4) Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)

5) jQuery (JavaScript Framework Library, commonly used in Ajax development)

6) Moo Tools (JavaScript Framework Library, commonly used in Ajax)

7) Dojo Toolkit (JavaScript Framework Library, commonly used in Ajax development)

II. Server-side scripting/coding: Server-side scripting is the type of code that is executed or interpreted by the web server.

Server Side Scripting is not visible or accessible to any visitor or general public.

Below are common server-side scripting technologies:

1) PHP (Very Common Server – Open based on Linux/Unix

Source: free redistribution, usually combined with MySQL database)

2) Zend Framework (PHP Object Oriented Web Application Framework) ASP (Microsoft Web Server (IIS) Scripting Language)

3) ASP.NET (Microsoft Web Application Framework – successor to ASP) Ruby on Rails (Ruby Programming Web Application Framework – free redistribution)

4) pearl

5) python

Advantages of web application development:

1) Web applications are developed using programming languages ​​like HTML and CSS, which are well known among IT professionals.

2) These apps run in the device’s own web browser via a simple URL.

3) They can also open websites. This means they don’t need to be updated like regular apps do. In this sense, it is the website to which the application is linked that will be updated.

4) On the other hand, the development time of a web application is less. Hence its lower price.

Disadvantages of web application development:

1) An Internet connection will be essential to run it. Otherwise, you will not be able to navigate the website and the web application will be of no use to you.

2) It will also lose visibility by not being exposed in stores.

3) Also, there will be some access restrictions regarding certain hardware functions of the device it runs on.