Web-based simulation

Last updated

Web-based simulation (WBS) is the invocation of computer simulation services over the World Wide Web, specifically through a web browser. [1] [2] [3] [4] Increasingly, the web is being looked upon as an environment for providing modeling and simulation applications, and as such, is an emerging area of investigation within the simulation community. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Application

Web-based simulation is used in several contexts:

Client-side vs server-side approaches

Web-based simulation can take place either on the server side or on the client side. In server-side simulation, the numerical calculations and visualization (generation of plots and other computer graphics) is carried out on the web server, while the interactive graphical user interface (GUI) often partly is provided by the client-side, for example using server-side scripting such as PHP or CGI scripts, interactive services based on Ajax or a conventional application software remotely accessed through a VNC Java applet.

In client-side simulation, the simulation program is downloaded from the server side but completely executed on the client side, for example using Java applets, Flash animations, JavaScript, or some mathematical software viewer plug-in. Server-side simulation is not scalable for many simultaneous users, but places fewer demands on the user computer performance and web-browser plug-ins than client-side simulation.

The term on-line simulation sometimes refers to server-side web-based simulation, sometimes to symbiotic simulation, i.e. a simulation that interacts in real-time with a physical system.

The upcoming cloud-computing technologies can be used for new server-side simulation approaches. For instance, there are[ example needed ] multi-agent-simulation applications which are deployed on cloud-computing instances and act independently. This allows simulations to be highly scalable.[ clarification needed ]

Existing tools

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thin client</span> Non-powerful computer optimized for remote server access

In computer networking, a thin client is a simple (low-performance) computer that has been optimized for establishing a remote connection with a server-based computing environment. They are sometimes known as network computers, or in their simplest form as zero clients. The server does most of the work, which can include launching software programs, performing calculations, and storing data. This contrasts with a rich client or a conventional personal computer; the former is also intended for working in a client–server model but has significant local processing power, while the latter aims to perform its function mostly locally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse (software)</span> Software development environment

Eclipse is an integrated development environment (IDE) used in computer programming. It contains a base workspace and an extensible plug-in system for customizing the environment. It is the second-most-popular IDE for Java development, and, until 2016, was the most popular. Eclipse is written mostly in Java and its primary use is for developing Java applications, but it may also be used to develop applications in other programming languages via plug-ins, including Ada, ABAP, C, C++, C#, Clojure, COBOL, D, Erlang, Fortran, Groovy, Haskell, JavaScript, Julia, Lasso, Lua, NATURAL, Perl, PHP, Prolog, Python, R, Ruby, Rust, Scala, and Scheme. It can also be used to develop documents with LaTeX and packages for the software Mathematica. Development environments include the Eclipse Java development tools (JDT) for Java and Scala, Eclipse CDT for C/C++, and Eclipse PDT for PHP, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Web application</span> Application that uses a web browser as a client

A web application is application software that is accessed using a web browser. Web applications are delivered on the World Wide Web to users with an active network connection.

In software engineering, the terms frontend and backend refer to the separation of concerns between the presentation layer (frontend), and the data access layer (backend) of a piece of software, or the physical infrastructure or hardware. In the client–server model, the client is usually considered the frontend and the server is usually considered the backend, even when some presentation work is actually done on the server itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visual programming language</span> Programming language written graphically by a user

In computing, a visual programming language or block coding is a programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements graphically rather than by specifying them textually. A VPL allows programming with visual expressions, spatial arrangements of text and graphic symbols, used either as elements of syntax or secondary notation. For example, many VPLs are based on the idea of "boxes and arrows", where boxes or other screen objects are treated as entities, connected by arrows, lines or arcs which represent relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamic web page</span> Type of web page

A dynamic web page is a web page constructed at runtime, as opposed to a static web page, delivered as it is stored. A server-side dynamic web page is a web page whose construction is controlled by an application server processing server-side scripts. In server-side scripting, parameters determine how the assembly of every new web page proceeds, and including the setting up of more client-side processing. A client-side dynamic web page processes the web page using JavaScript running in the browser as it loads. JavaScript can interact with the page via Document Object Model (DOM), to query page state and modify it. Even though a web page can be dynamic on the client-side, it can still be hosted on a static hosting service such as GitHub Pages or Amazon S3 as long as there is not any server-side code included.

A GIS software program is a computer program to support the use of a geographic information system, providing the ability to create, store, manage, query, analyze, and visualize geographic data, that is, data representing phenomena for which location is important. The GIS software industry encompasses a broad range of commercial and open-source products that provide some or all of these capabilities within various information technology architectures.

A web framework (WF) or web application framework (WAF) is a software framework that is designed to support the development of web applications including web services, web resources, and web APIs. Web frameworks provide a standard way to build and deploy web applications on the World Wide Web. Web frameworks aim to automate the overhead associated with common activities performed in web development. For example, many web frameworks provide libraries for database access, templating frameworks, and session management, and they often promote code reuse. Although they often target development of dynamic web sites, they are also applicable to static websites.

A webform, web form or HTML form on a web page allows a user to enter data that is sent to a server for processing. Forms can resemble paper or database forms because web users fill out the forms using checkboxes, radio buttons, or text fields. For example, forms can be used to enter shipping or credit card data to order a product, or can be used to retrieve search results from a search engine.

A single-page application (SPA) is a web application or website that interacts with the user by dynamically rewriting the current web page with new data from the web server, instead of the default method of a web browser loading entire new pages. The goal is faster transitions that make the website feel more like a native app.

ZK is an open-source Ajax Web application framework, written in Java, that enables creation of graphical user interfaces for Web applications with little required programming knowledge.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to software:

An Internet operating system, or Internet OS, is any type of operating system designed to run all of its applications and services through an Internet client, generally a web browser. The advantages of such an OS would be that it would run on a thin client, allowing cheaper, more easily manageable computer systems; it would require all applications to be designed on cross-platform, open standards; and would not tie a user's applications, documents, and preferences to a single computer, but rather place them in the Internet cloud. The Internet OS has also been promoted as the perfect type of platform for software as a service.

The virtual world framework (VWF) is a means to connect robust 3D, immersive, entities with other entities, virtual worlds, content and users via web browsers. It provides the ability for client-server programs to be delivered in a lightweight manner via web browsers, and provides synchronization for multiple users to interact with common objects and environments. For example, using VWF, a developer can take video lesson plans, component objects and avatars and successfully insert them into an existing virtual or created landscape, interacting with the native objects and users via a VWF interface.

References

  1. Byrne, James; Heavey, Cathal; Byrne, P.J. (March 2010). "A review of Web-based simulation and supporting tools". Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory. Elsevier. 18 (3): 253–276. doi:10.1016/j.simpat.2009.09.013.
  2. Page, E.; Griffen, S. P. (1998). "Providing Conceptual Framework Support for Distributed Web-Based Simulation within the High Level Architecture.". Proceedings of the SPIE Conference on Enabling Technologies for Simulation Science II, Orlando, Florida, USA. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.37.4216 .
  3. Page, E.; Opper, J. M. (2000). "Investigating the Application of Web-Based Simulation Principles within the Architecture for a Next-Generation Computer Generated Forces Model." (PDF). Future Generation Computer Systems 19: 159-169.
  4. 1 2 Byrne, James; Heavey, Cathal; Byrne, P.J. (2006). "SIMCT: An Application of Web Based Simulation.". Proceedings of the 2006 Operational Research Society (UK) 3rd Simulation Workshop (SW06), 28-29th March, Royal Leamington Spa, UK.
  5. Guru, A.; Savory, P.; Williams, R. (2000). "A Web-based Interface for Storing and Executing Simulation Models.". Proceedings of the 2000 Winter Simulation Conference, Orlando, Florida.
  6. Harrell, C. R.; Hicks, D. A. (1998). "Simulation Software Component Architecture for Simulation-based Enterprise Applications." (PDF). Proceedings of the 1998 Winter Simulation Conference, Washington D.C., USA. doi:10.1109/WSC.1998.746053. S2CID   11277437.
  7. Mobile Web and App Development Testing and Emulation Tools, Specky boy design magazine, April 12, 2010
  8. "Index - FreeFem++-js 17.1". www.ljll.math.upmc.fr. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
  9. "FreeFem++". freefem.org. Retrieved 2018-12-01.