Web Applications

A web application is any software program application that uses a web browser as a 'client'. Applications can range from something as simple as a message board or a guest sign-in book to as complex as a spreadsheet or a word processor.

The word 'client' refers to the program a person uses to run an application. In a 'client-server' environment there are multiple computers that share information. Entering information into a database is a part of sharing information. Now, the'client' is the application which is used to enter the information and the 'server' is the application that stores the information.

Web applications help developers negate the need for specifics. For example, as the client runs in a web browser, the user is free to use a Mac or an IBM, also, the type of O.S being used doesn't matter.  Web applications commonly use a combination of server-side script (ASP, PHP, etc) and client-side script (HTML, JavaScript, etc.) to develop the application. The client-side script presents the information while the server-side script executes complex matter like storing and retrieving the information.

The emergence of new age technology has resulted in mass usage of web. Millions of businesses use the web as an affordable means of communication. There are over a million internet users today. Marketers use the web to communicate with the visitors who access the websites. Marketers use tactics such as persuading web visitors to subscribe to newsletters and fill out application forms when requesting information on products.  A number of companies also use the web as a sales channel. According to sources, U.S e-commerce spending exceeded 100 billion dollars in 2006.

All the data that is entered in the form of newsletters, application forms needs to be collected, processed in anticipation of its usage for the future. Web applications, in the form of submit fields, enquiry and login forms, shopping carts, and content management systems, are those website widgets that allow this to happen. Thus, web applications facilitate businesses in influencing their online presence. This in turn creates good relations with the customers. Web applications have therefore taken the world by storm and its phenomenon is ever growing in nature.