What is it?
BOA is an unique application that allows you to build powerful and user friendly web applications in a quick and simple way without needing any knowledge of HTML, CSS, Javascript or any other webtool.
This application offers a solution to developers worldwide so you can build an online version for your existing products in no time to satisfy the needs of your customers. Thanks to BOA you can utilize the yearlong investments into your development of your business software again, and even more, you can continue to use the development environment that you’re used to.
Probably every developer who wanted to school himself into a web developer came to the conclusion that web development is a whole different world. That’s also one of the main reasons why teams who build web applications most of the time split the tasks between front-end and back-end developers. As a developer of legacy desktop applications you are both.
BOA is made for developers who most of the time create very specific applications on demand and who don’t have a whole team at their side. BOA becomes your frond-end developer and will provide the powerful, modern and responsive web application that your clients are asking for.
Thanks to BOA you’re able to offer your clients in short term a solution that utilizes modern technologies fulfilling all the client’s needs. BOA opens the door to the web application market.
Creating online enterprise applications with languages asXbase++, Visual Foxpro, Freepascal, Cobol, Visual Basic,...
For developers?
To convert a windows program, that’s being used on a desktop, into a functioning web based application that works on all mobile devices is a big challenge for thousands of developers worldwide. In most cases a specific development environment has been used for years and shifting this to a web based environment can be a big obstacle.
As specialists in your own field switching over to a completely new and different environment can be an enormous, near impossible task. Count on top of this the risk of losing years worth of investments of developing your business logic into your product. In most cases you need to start from zero again, which is obviously no evident task.
With BOA there’s a solution for these developers. As a developer you can create an iApi with the tools you’ve been using for years. When developing and following the requirements you’ll be able to immediately present to your clients an online version of your program/application/software thanks to BOA. BOA creates using the iApi a high performing online version of your software that works in all web browsers and online devices. BOA generates a responsive app with a clean and good looking UI.
Without having any knowledge of languages such as HTML, CSS, Javascript, NodeJS, PHP, React, Angular, … you can now present to your clients an online solution that meets all the necessary requirements of the fast growing online world.
BOA is the key and opens new markets for any developer!
Thanks to the unique technology, based on 30 years of experience in developing data driven applications, you can now using your own tools meet the demand of having an online version of your windows software.
Our technology allows you to use the Windows desktop version at the same time with the online version, just like you can work with multiple computers at the same time on a network. This offers the external employees of your clients a perfect tool to keep working on the road.
In all cases the intention is that you can keep on using the development environment that you’ve been using for years, as well as processing the data in an identical way. No matter in which environment: Windows, Mac, Linux or even Dos.
Three-Tier architecture
A three-tier architecture is a client-server architecture in which the functional process logic, data access, computer data storage and user interface are developed and maintained as independent modules on separate platforms. Three-tier architecture is a software design pattern and a well-established software architecture.
The three-tier architecture is the most common practice in web based environments, using three different layers:
Presentation layer
A front-end web server serving static content, and potentially some cached dynamic content. In web-based application, front end is the content rendered by the browser. The content may be static or generated dynamically.
Application layer.
A middle dynamic content processing and generation level application server (e.g., Symfony, Spring, ASP.NET, Django, Rails, Node.js).
Data Layer
A back-end database or data store, comprising both data sets and the database management system software that manages and provides access to the data.
BOA is the presentation layer, providing independently for the presentation and the lay-out. As with the intention of a using a three-tier architecture, every layer an be replaced without having to change another layer. All layers work independently from each other. BOA exists as a web based application but also as a Windows and Mac application. Using one tool you can offer your product to each platform.
The iAPI is the Application Layer whether or not together with the Data Layer. These layers form the back-end application and can be created in every programming language.
This puts building web based applications in every developers reach
without a steep learning curve.
Roles of the Different Tiers
All three tiers in three-tier architecture can be independent of one another in terms of technology, language, logic and platform, and yet need to constantly interact with each other in order to enable the software applications' work. Since the tiers are independent of each other, their operation, maintenance and troubleshooting are also independent.
It is important that the tiers are both backward and forward compatible with all the components of all other tiers.
For big companies?
While three-tier architecture is almost considered the norm now, for many companies – especially those with limited resources – it is not easy to implement three-tier architecture. It is a complex system and requires big investment in terms of technology, money and skilled personnel.
Does that mean that companies with smaller budgets will not be able to achieve efficiency? They can with BOA! Boa is a client-side system that can interact with your iAPI, and provide a technology to develop modern robust web applications.
RAD - Rapid Application Development
Is BOA a RAD tool? No, certainly not.
With a RAD-tool you as a developer has to learn a tool that creates screens, creates menus, and you’re obliged to build everything in that system. With most RAD-tools you don’t have a choice in what kind of database you want to use and your end product won’t be able to work together with your existing Windows application.
This is one of BOA’s biggest benefits. Thanks to the iAPI that you make as a back-end developer in the same development environment as your Windows application there are no obstacles in having your online application working seamlessly together with the Windows application. The end product, your web application build by BOA is an extension of your existing program/software, using the same technologies and databases.
Otherwise, Yes it is a RAD tool, since it is really fast to develop and to create the application you need. The Low-code RAD tools on the market are perfect to create new applications, where you can choose the technology and database model. They are not a good choice to extend the functionalities of an existing Windows application. This is where BOA is a much better solution.
How fast to build?
The sample invoicing software was build in 30 days. The existing Windows Invoicing software developed in Xbase++ is migrated to an online version with BOA. The developer has no knowledge of any web-language, nor html, css, ... With the use of BOA there is a first version of the invoicing software in 30 days. The only tools that were used are the same as in the last 20 years. A lot of business logic is re-used, existing functions are called and used as in the Windows version.
You invested a lot in your software during the past years!Don't loose this, but use it as a strenght to develop your new online-app.
iAPI versus API.
The definition of an API (Application Programming Interface)
An API is a set of functions and procedures, a tool, that allows the creation of applications which access the features or data of an external operating system, application or other service.
An API does nothing more than deliver data or process data. It’s a DIDO (Data IN/Data OUT) system without any intelligence. A lot of systems offer an API, and in most cases this will be very useful to transfer data between multiple parties. But the issue is that those API’s are not standard and need development on both sides:
• Back-End: the side of the application
• Front-End: the side of the user
In a lot of instances the front-end is the main obstacle for developers. When using BOA this side of development is no longer necessary, BOA is the app.
The iAPI that has to be developed contains all intelligence that’s already available in the source code of your desktop software. Considering the fact you can build the iAPI in the same development environment this process will go really fast for a seasoned developer. The learning curve is minimal and results are quickly visible. Using this method with BOA a developer has an easy, simple process to migrate his desktop software to the online world. Or you can choose to focus on specific parts of your software. New modules can be created for the online application and no longer be available in the desktop version, think about Cloud first when developing in future.