Changing Landscape:

Bob Muglia introduces the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference, emphasizing that the internet platform is providing new opportunities for developers. He hints that the session will discuss new standards and applications that have the potential to significantly expand the market. Steve Jobs is then introduced as the president of Next Corporation to delve into some of these opportunities.

WebObjects Introduction:

Steve Jobs spends the initial moments of his talk outlining his agenda. He plans to focus on WebObjects, a server-side software technology, and promises to provide a deeper explanation in a technical session the following day. Jobs is open to audience feedback, acknowledging the late hour of the talk.

Two Acts of Web Development:

Steve Jobs divides the web’s development into two “acts.” Act 1, according to him, was centered around the web browser and static publishing. He mentions how this phase has allowed the creation of a wide variety of websites, such as Next, Microsoft, and Intel. Jobs also highlights how far static publishing has come in terms of capabilities.

Current Focus on Web Browsers:

Jobs notes that most contemporary advancements are focused on enhancing the web browser’s user interface. He compares the capabilities of the web’s UI to that of PC-based software like Microsoft Windows, observing that much effort is being directed towards expanding the web’s UI. This includes the use of plug-ins and ActiveX technologies to bring web interfaces closer to the capabilities of traditional PC interfaces.

Future of Web Interface:

Jobs predicts that efforts to enhance the web’s user interface will indeed be successful, but suggests that this focus is just one aspect of web development. His implication is that the server-side software, like WebObjects, represents the next evolutionary step, or “Act 2,” in web development.

Introduction and ‘Act 2’ of the Web:

Steve Jobs presents a new era in internet development, termed ‘Act 2’. Unlike the first act, which was focused on web browsers and static content, Act 2 shifts the focus to server-side capabilities. The new emphasis is on “dynamic services” or “active services”, moving beyond merely displaying pre-made pages to generating customized content in real-time.

Limitations of Static Publishing:

Jobs highlights that the conventional model of static publishing on the web is akin to “tearing a book or brochure apart” and serving individual pages via HTTP servers. This method fails when the page a user wants to see doesn’t already exist. Jobs uses Federal Express’s package tracking as an example, explaining how the information displayed is generated dynamically from multiple databases.

The Role of WebObjects:

WebObjects, a server-side software tool, addresses the need for dynamic services. It doesn’t store full pages; instead, it stores components that can be assembled into a page on the fly, based on a user’s request. These components can be mixed and matched in multiple ways, aided by a scripting language that glues them together.

Real-World Applications:

Jobs gives examples of how WebObjects could be employed, mentioning its use by search engines to generate dynamic search results. He also walks through a Chrysler demo, explaining how WebObjects builds web pages dynamically to display different models of cars based on filters like price or type.

Impact on Business:

Highlighting Federal Express again, Jobs notes the cost-saving aspect of such dynamic web services. By allowing customers to track packages online, Federal Express claims to save approximately $80,000 a day, showcasing the financial advantages of adopting dynamic web solutions.

Cross-Browser Compatibility:

Jobs demonstrates that WebObjects works across different browsers, indicating its flexibility and broad applicability.

Dynamic Content in Detail:

Jobs further explains how WebObjects enables real-time changes on the website. He details how a user can easily customize the view of a car model and get an updated price, all dynamically rendered and calculated by WebObjects.

Overall, the segment emphasizes the seismic shift from browser-centric, static web content to server-centric, dynamic web services, facilitated by tools like WebObjects. This has implications not just for user experience but also for business efficiency.

Evolution to Dynamic Web Services:

The speaker discusses how web services are transitioning from static publishing to dynamic or active services. This is identified as the “Act 2 of the web,” where the server takes center stage in delivering user-requested content in real-time. In static publishing, pages exist beforehand, but dynamic services generate pages on-the-fly.

Examples of Dynamic Content:

Examples like Federal Express tracking and indexed search services highlight the importance and efficiency of dynamic web pages. These examples emphasize that pages generated in real-time can provide personalized data, cutting the need for pre-built pages. This is both cost-effective and user-friendly.

WebObjects: The Solution for Dynamic Services:

WebObjects is presented as the solution for creating dynamic web pages. It doesn’t store pages but rather stores components and builds pages by combining these components dynamically. WebObjects also integrates a scripting language to glue components together and save state throughout user sessions.

Compatibility Across Browsers:

The speaker mentions that WebObjects works well across different browsers like Internet Explorer and Netscape, stressing its versatility.

Three-State Button and HTML:

The example of a “three-state button” demonstrates WebObjects’ capability to extend HTML’s functionalities. A user doesn’t need to understand HTML to use WebObjects as it handles the technical aspects internally.

Integration with OLE and Microsoft Excel:

WebObjects can fluently speak OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), even in a distributed manner. For instance, it can push data to Excel on another machine, perform calculations there, and pull the data back to build a web page, thus offering seamless integration with other services.

Liability and Calculations:

The capability to offload calculations to software like Excel suggests that WebObjects can reduce the liability of doing calculations within the web service. This can be particularly beneficial for applications requiring precise computations.

Dynamic Product Display:

Finally, the presentation showcased how WebObjects could dynamically display products, like cars in this instance, sorted or filtered based on user input. This exemplifies how highly dynamic and customizable web pages can be built using WebObjects.

WebObjects Capabilities:

The speaker introduces WebObjects as a tool for creating dynamic web services. WebObjects allows users to build interactive elements like three-state buttons, which HTML doesn’t support natively. Users don’t need to know HTML to use WebObjects; the application takes care of that.

Interoperability:

WebObjects seamlessly integrates with other software like Microsoft Excel through Olay automation. The speaker demonstrates that complex calculations can be performed in Excel, and the result can be reflected in a web page generated by WebObjects. This interoperability allows for more complex applications.

Real-Time Database Updates:

A Visual Basic app, written in just an hour thanks to the existing WebObjects business logic, can update the database in real-time. This is demonstrated by changing the price of a car model and the data is immediately reflected on the web page.

WebObjects Versions:

There are three versions of the WebObjects product. The basic version allows gluing objects with a scripting language. The pro version supports custom objects and needs a compiled language for better performance. The enterprise version offers advanced database access technologies.

Platform Support and Languages:

WebObjects works on different servers including NT, Solaris, and Nextstep. It supports scripting languages like Visual Basic Script and JavaScript, as well as compiled languages like Objective-C, C++, and soon Java.

Pricing and Availability:

A beta version is available for free to encourage widespread adoption. The pro and enterprise versions are priced at $3,000 and $25,000 respectively, offering advanced functionalities.

Customer Adoption:

Companies like Merrill Lynch, Motorola, and DreamWorks are already using WebObjects for various internal applications. Fannie Mae is also building large-scale applications with this technology.

Introduction:

The primary speaker, who appears to be a tech expert, sets the stage for demonstrating WebObjects Enterprise, a technology aimed at offering advanced database access capabilities. The focus of the demo is on an online airline guide system.

Online Airline Guide:

The speaker explains the function of an online airline guide, which is to collate and disseminate airline schedules to different reservation systems like Sabre. The guide has also begun offering ticket reservation services. They point out that the company wishes to modernize this guide by making it more interactive and web-based.

Dynamic Web Pages:

During the demonstration, the speaker logs into the system, showing how the technology can dynamically generate web pages based on user input. For example, when selecting departure and destination locations, the system immediately updates and provides relevant information. This capability extends to work with any web browser.

Java Applets and Animation:

The system also incorporates Java applets to show small animations, indicating that the technology is versatile and compatible with Java.

Fare Details and Booking:

The speaker reveals a lesser-known industry secret about varying fare prices in coach seats. The system dynamically pulls up-to-date fares and flights based on the user’s input, further showcasing its dynamic capabilities.

Real-Time Data Access:

Emphasizing the dynamic nature of the system, the speaker mentions that all this information is fetched in real-time from a mainframe in London. This means the web pages are constructed just seconds before the user views them, offering the most current data.

Final Remarks:

The speaker concludes by stressing the revolutionary nature of this technology, stating that it feels like a dynamic construction based on user inputs and real-time data, differing significantly from the static nature of most current web systems.

Overview of WebObjects:

The primary speaker, presumably either Bob Muglia or Steve Jobs, discusses WebObjects, a tool that supports various web browsers and HTTP servers. The platform is free and can be downloaded from Next’s homepage. WebObjects supports both Visual Basic Script and Java and is described as an “icing on top of your Microsoft internet server cake.”

Efficiency in Development:

The speaker highlights how quickly a reservation app was created, taking only a week compared to a FedEx app that took four months. The message here is the efficiency of using the right development tools. The development team consisted of three people: two for coding and one for graphics.

Application Integration and Questions:

When asked about how many programmers were involved and the application’s architecture, the speaker notes that the primary challenge was hooking up to a mainframe database. Had it been an SQL database, the process would have been faster. The business logic itself was not difficult to write.

Technical Aspects:

In response to queries, the speaker indicates that WebObjects is currently a CGI application, but ISAPI support is in development. There’s also mention of various support plans for developers who can’t afford the enterprise version of WebObjects.

Transactions and Security:

The platform doesn’t have built-in TP monitor-like functionality but can hook into existing ones. The speaker states that online transaction security is not a technical issue but a social and liability issue, expecting resolutions soon.

Maintaining State:

WebObjects can maintain state on an application, session, or general basis, with more technical details to be discussed in a future session.

The presentation ends with an invitation for further questions, emphasizing the platform’s capabilities and potential for efficient web development.