Comprehensive Report on Web Application Development and Security

This report provides a comprehensive overview of web application development, covering key concepts, server-side and client-side technologies, and security techniques. It begins by defining web-based applications and evaluating their functionality, highlighting advantages such as cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and ease of customization. The report then compares various server-side scripting languages like PHP, Python, Ruby, C#, C++, Java, and Erlang, alongside client-side technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, demonstrating their respective roles in solving web development problems. Furthermore, it addresses web security techniques, emphasizing the importance of updates, strong passwords, SSL encryption, secure web hosting, and proper file management to protect data. The report concludes by synthesizing client-side and server-side technologies into a complete system architectural design, detailing the responsibilities of both the client and server in creating a functional web application. Desklib provides access to this and many other solved assignments and past papers for students.

LO1: Understand the concepts of web application development
1.1 Describe the concept of web-based application including its advantages, critically evaluate its
functionality and discuss how the web-based application is employed to solve the business problem
described above?
Ans. The web-based application is something which makes use of a website as an interface. It provides
the users with the comfort of providing them to access the application through any computer that has
internet in it through a browser.
It is somewhat different from the normally used applications of the desktop. A lot of people know about
Microsoft word which is known the application of word processing which is also a desktop application.
Google docs is also an application of word-processing but in this, the users execute all the functions
through a web browser in spite of using a software installed on the computer. which concludes it as a
web-based application.
Among all the web applications that exist google apps is the most renowned one. An online project
management tool has been developed by the magic web solutions called kanbanchi which has been
integrated into the ecosystem of Google.
It can be concluded that any desktop software can be developed as a web-based application.
Advantages:
Cost Effective:
Since the interaction between the user and application needs to be tested on different web browsers
but the application needs to be developed on a single operating system.
Accessible:
The old applications did not have this feature of where it can be accessible anytime and anywhere but
now the web systems are or can be accessed anytime and anywhere which opens up the door for so
many possibilities like working from home and many more.
Easily Customized:
The web-based application has a user interface which can be customized very easily in comparison with
the desktop applications Which makes it simpler to change the look and feel of the application.
Accessible to devices:
For devices connected to the internet, it can customize the content which includes mobile phones and
tablets.
Maintenance and Installation:

The user can access the new version or upgrade which is installed on the host server directly because it
does not need an upgrade for every user.
1.2 There are various languages available for managing the server-side and client-side scripting
language. You are free to choose any server-side and client-side scripting language for this work
even though ASP.NET is recommended as the lectures will cover it. Your task here is to critically
compare the key differences between the various server-side technologies and do the same for the
client side technologies with appropriate examples. Moreover, demonstrate evidently how each of
them can be used to solve the given problem
Server-side scripting languages are as follows:
PHP: The most known server-side scripting language as it is taken in use to edit the information in
the database. It normally includes database written in SQL language. It only works for web and is
one of the renowned languages. It is easy to install and deploy.
Python: As there is no lengthy coding portion so it is fast which makes it one of the best option for
the market. It has been made in such a way that the beginners will find it easy and simple. It works
well in the object-oriented design.
Ruby: This scripting language works on the complicated logic of the database. It is simple and
complex at the same time. It is easy to maintain.
C#: C# is the combination of the best features of C and C++ language. It is best if taken for
developing the web application.
C++: C++ is considered as the complex and difficult to understand that works best on data-heavy
sites. It runs well alongside Java and python.
Java: Java is a variation of C++ but it is easier in comparison with C++ and unlike C++ it is platform
independent.
Erlang: Erlang is a concurrent language in which several processes can run simultaneously on the
language level.
Client Side Scripting language is as follows:
HTML and CSS: All the content and organization of a site is handled by HTML. On the Other hand, CSS
manages the content for the graphic content on the website including the background and the fonts to
manage the display of the website.
JavaScript: Almost every website uses the combination of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS .it is the most
widely used client-side script.
1.3 In the development of web application security of data and information is very important and any
application is required to manage them appropriately. Discuss web security techniques and explain
how you use them to protect the data in the web application design.

Ans. Websites are prone to the risk of security also from the networks who have a connection to the
web server. The techniques through which web security can be achieved are:
1. Everything which is installed needs to be updated which includes all the platforms and the scripts . As
if there is any platform which is outdated then it has the chance of getting hacked by the hacker so to
make sure that does not happen every platforms need to be updated.
2. It has been always suggested whenever you are entering your password it should be strong so that
the hacker cannot hack your password it should be complicated consisting of lowercase letters,
uppercase letters, and special characters. And it should be 10 characters long. This kind of password
policy needs to be maintained.
3. All the pages that have been logged in should have the encryption of SSL to make sure that the
information which is being transmitted is secure and can prevent private data from hackers.
4. It is necessary to have the security of a website in order to achieve that it is important to have a
secure web hosting which makes the host aware of the threats and your website is secure.
5. It needs to be kept in mind that after the use of any database, files or application is closed as if it
remains open it can be the possible way for the hackers to enter.
6. There should always be a backup of all of the files which are taken in use cause if it becomes
inaccessible there is no loss of data.
M1: There are many server-side technologies that can be taken in use for web applications. Out of those
Microsoft’s ASP.NET is the most popular. The code for server-side use .NET Framework which is written
in languages like C# and VB.NET. Database or files like permanent storage interacts directly with the
server side. Processing of server-side happens when pages are requested and posted back to the server.
Unlike server-side the scripts on the client side are implemented on client’s web page and process in the
client browser. There are many benefits of the client-side script which has faster response time and an
interactive application. When the elements of the page need to be changed then it is ideal as there is no
need to contact the database for that purpose.
LO2: Be able to design web applications
2.2 You have to show how the client-side and server-side technologies are synthesized into a web
application. This should constitute the complete system architectural design
Ans. The server-side features:
 The server-side script has Ruby, Javascript, Python, C#, and Java but it includes a lot more than this.
That code can run a server which can run on a computer and respond to the HTTP request.

 It stores resolute data only.
 The user is not able to see it.
 It responds to HTTP request only.
The client-side features:
 Client-side code has HTML,CSS and javascript.
 It's response to whatever the user input is.
 The user can see it and edit it.
 After the page is refreshed cannot have the previous data.
 Makes the page visible to the user.
To have a web application which the user can access the browser needs to have server delivering web
pages and have to handle saving and loading persistent data based on the messages from the browser.
The client is responsible for anything which happens with the GUI. It also manages the appearance of
the page. This style of application is called single page application.