Future Programming, the Next Development Platform part 3

Posted by arlene

Avalon

Longhorn will use a new markup language known as Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML). XAML is similar to HTML in that you can control the layout of text and controls on a page. But it also allows you to add procedural code using languages like C#, Visual Basic.NET, and JScript.Net. The procedural code mixed with XAML will function similarly to the current code-behind files used in .NET. You can have a simple application that consists only of XAML or one that consists of both (this is the type that most developers will create).

A significant change for developers is the introduction of the application model. The new model provides a single programming model for creating different types of applications. Developers will be able to create applications that take advantage of the best features of Web- and Windows-based applications. Thus you will be able to create applications that can be deployed easily like current Web applications, but can also run offline like current Windows applications. Both Web and desktop applications will look and function essentially the same. The biggest difference will pertain to where the code resides.

Blurring the lines between application-development methods will eliminate the need for certain tradeoffs, such as having a rich user interface versus an easy deployment scenario. This should create more opportunities for developers to implement enhanced computing techniques.

Indigo

Indigo provides for secure communication among applications and is a key piece of the seamless computing vision. It incorporates Web services and allows you to communicate in one of two ways:

Stateless—The less reliable method, representing the way Web services are utilized currently.

NStateful—A session exists between the sender and the receiver so that the communication is stable and secure. With sessions you can specify exactly how a message should be received. This is especially important when you have Web services sending information over unreliable networks. For example, even if a connection is interrupted, a stateful session can pick up the communication later when it is available.

Secure and reliable communication is critical for most businesses. It is also important for agent-based applications in which data is available remotely or there is a need to communicate with other agents. Therefore, the ability to improve the way Web services are implemented is an important next step for enhanced computing.

WinFS

Computer storage space is increasing by leaps and bounds every day. A typical user’s hard drive is well over 100 GB. Modern-day applications are quickly filling the unused space as more and more files and file types are added to the mix. WinFS, which stands for Windows Future Storage, is a key component that represents the new storage subsystem. It will depart from the typical way of storing data as files inside folders. WinFS will not be included in the initial client release of Longhorn, but it will be incorporated later and represents an important piece of the puzzle.

WinFS will use a query language known as OPath to locate information. It also allows you to relate items and therefore make them more meaningful. Preliminary documentation gives an example in which a sales proposal is related to the salesperson and the fiscal sales quarter it was created in. This relationship could then be used when searching for proposals from a certain quarter.

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