Increasingly, software applications are built using web technologies and made accessible via web browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera). They are commonly referred to as web applications
, or hosted applications—applications based on a software as a service (SaaS) model, 1
or cloud computing. 2
These web applications are different from more traditional web sites in that their emphasis is on allowing users to accomplish tasks such as send email, make travel reservations, find homes, pay bills, transfer money, buy products, send invitations, and so forth (Figure 1.1
, Figure 1.2
, Figure 1.3
and Figure 1.4
). Web sites, on the other hand, are content oriented and are designed to facilitate ...