Apple WebObjects 5 - Manual (Page 20)

20 The WebObjects Advantage
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Apple Computer, Inc. January 2002
C H A P T E R 2
What Is WebObjects?
Out of the box, Direct to Web generates Web pages for nine common database tasks,
including querying, editing, and listing. To do this, Direct to Web uses a
task-specific component called a template that can perform the task on any entity.
The templates, in conjunction with a set of rules (which you can customize), are the
essential elements of your Direct to Web application.
Direct to Web is highly customizable. For example, you can change the appearance
of the standard templates, mix traditional HTML-based WebObjects components
with Direct to Web pages, and create custom components and templates that
implement specialized behavior.
Direct to Java Client
Like Direct to Web, Direct to Java Client generates a user interface for common
database tasks using rules to control program flow and it has an assistant that
allows you to modify your applications at runtime. The primary difference between
Direct to Web and Direct to Java Client is the type of application each produces:
Direct to Java Client produces Java Client applications that have the fast and rich
user interfaces associated with desktop applications. Thus, Direct to Java Client
applications have the same client-side requirements that other Java Client
applications do.
The WebObjects Advantage
WebObjects encapsulates a number of key technologies that give it a significant
advantage over other application servers.
Streamlined Database Access
Much of the data that is (or could be) presented on the Web already exists in
electronic form. Not only can it be a challenge to create a website or Web application
to present your data using conventional tools, it can also be a challenge just to access
the data itself. Some products rely on hand- or assistant-generated SQL (Structured
Query Language), leading to database-specific code that is difficult to optimize.
WebObjects avoids these problems by using Enterprise Objects, a model-based