A Rich Internet Application (RIA) is a web application design to deliver the same features and functions. Rich Internet Application (RIA) is normally associated with desktop applications. Rich Internet Application is build with very powerful development tools which enable it to run faster.
RIA provides users a better visual experience and more interactively as compare to traditional browser applications which just use HTML and HTTP.
Nowadays, it is possible for programmers to embed nearly any functionality which they like inside a Web-based graphical interface, which makes it to view and behave as if it is traditional desktop application.
Modern tools helps programmers to create complex application screens with the help of variety of mixed media. Variety of mixed media like several fonts, bitmap and vector graphic files, animations, online conferencing, audio and video. Such applications provides functionality which goes far beyond just reading and browsing, and they can be serve over the web. These are called as Rich Internet Applications.
RIAs generally split the processing across the internet or network divided by locating the user interface. An RIAs normally runs inside a Web browser and usually does not require software installation on the client side to work.
However, some RIAs may only work properly with one or more specific browsers. For security purposes, most RIAs run their client portions within a special isolated area of the client desktop. i.e, a Sandbox.
The sandbox limits visibility and access to the file and operating system on the client to the applicationserver on the other side of the connection.
One distinguishing feature of an RIA is the client engine that intermediates between the user and the application server. The term ‘Rich Internet Application‘ was introduce in a white paper of March 2002 by Micromedia.
Characteristics of RIA :
(1) Direct Interaction –
- In the environment of traditional page-based application, for interaction purpose only limited number of standard controls are available such as checkboxes, radio buttons and form fields.
- This badly affects the creation of usable and engaging applications.
- RIA contains a wider range of controls which helps to enhance efficiency and user applications.
(2) Partial-page Updating :
- The loading of standard HTML-based Web pages happens once.
- If there is need to update the page, then changes should be send to the server. It will do the changes and then resends the entire page.
- This is only one option with HTTP and HTML . In traditional Web-based apps if there are network connectivity issues, processing limitations or any other problems then users have to wait while the entire page reloads.
(3) Better Feedback :
- RIAs have ability to change parts of pages without the need of reloading.
- They can offer the user with fast and idea feedback, real-time confirmation of actions and detail error messages
(4) Consistency of look and feel :
- RIA tools helps to control and make consistent the user interface and experience with multiple browsers and OS.
(5) Offline use :
- In case the app is design in way that it can retain its state locally on the client machine.
- RIA tools can be use even if the connectivity is unavailable.
(6) Performance Impact :
- The performance of RIA is always better than traditional apps based on the application and network characteristics.
- Especially in the applications which skip round trips to the server by the means of processing locally on the client are effectively faster.
- When such processing is offloaded on client machine, the server performance also gets improve.
