Unit 35 Web Application Development: A Comprehensive Report

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Unit35: – Web Application Development

Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................4
LO1: Understand the concepts of web application development...............................................5
1.1: Critically evaluate the functions and advantages of web applications............................5
1.2: Critically compare different types of server side and client side scripting languages....6
1.3: Examine web security concerns and make recommendations for security
improvements.........................................................................................................................7
LO2 be able to design web application......................................................................................9
2.1 Design a web application to meet a given requirement...................................................9
2.2 Synthesise client-side and server-side functionality in a web application.....................12
2.4 evaluate alternative designs and solutions to meet a given requirement.......................15
LO3 be able to implement web applications............................................................................16
3.1 implement a web application to prepared design using client side and server side
scripting language................................................................................................................16
3.2 implement a web-enabled database management system to store, retrieve, and
manipulate data in a web application...................................................................................21
3.3 identify and implement opportunities for error handling and reporting........................25
LO4 be able to test web application.........................................................................................26
4.1 critically review and test a web application using a web enabled database management
system...................................................................................................................................26
4.2 analyze actual test results against expected results to identify discrepancies................27
4.3 critically evaluate independent feedback on a developed web application and
recommendations for improvements....................................................................................28
Conclusion:..............................................................................................................................33
Reference:................................................................................................................................34
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Table of Figures
Figure 1: Dashboard Page..........................................................................................................9
Figure 2: Profile page.................................................................................................................9
Figure 3: Change password......................................................................................................10
Figure 4: Hostel Booking Page................................................................................................10
Figure 5: Room details page....................................................................................................11
Figure 6: Access log Page........................................................................................................11
Figure 7: login page.................................................................................................................12
Figure 8: Admin Login Page....................................................................................................12
Figure 9: ER diagram...............................................................................................................14
Figure 10: server side code......................................................................................................16
Figure 11: Client side code......................................................................................................16
Figure 12: client side code 2....................................................................................................17
Figure 13: class code................................................................................................................17
Figure 14: php code..................................................................................................................18
Figure 15: php session code.....................................................................................................18
Figure 16: Output 1..................................................................................................................19
Figure 17: Output 2..................................................................................................................19
Figure 18: Output 3..................................................................................................................20
Figure 19: admin table structure..............................................................................................21
Figure 20: logintime session....................................................................................................21
Figure 21: hostel room details..................................................................................................22
Figure 22: city database...........................................................................................................23
Figure 23: details regarding student.........................................................................................24
Figure 24: page detail...............................................................................................................24
Figure 25: Access log...............................................................................................................28
Figure 26: Change password....................................................................................................29
Figure 27: Registration page....................................................................................................29
Figure 28: Dashboard page......................................................................................................30
Figure 29: Hostel management page........................................................................................30
Figure 30: User login page.......................................................................................................30
Figure 31: Profile page.............................................................................................................31
Figure 32: Student registration page........................................................................................31
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Introduction:
In this report learner will gain knowledge about the points given scenario like web
application development concept, functions of web application, technologies, advantages,
testing, coding, languages etc.
Learner will also learn about the concepts of web site design and the web site management.
Learner will enjoy and can enhance their web development skills by studying the point of
concept of web application, and the function of web application.
This unit also will show the client side and server side scripting language, how to use these
languages into the web application, how a web application works on server side by using the
server side scripting language, how to connect database with the help of server side scripting
language.
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LO1: Understand the concepts of web application development
1.1: Critically evaluate the functions and advantages of web applications
Web application: It is a program which is used to perform any particular function with the
help of browser in the form of client. Languages used to handle the backend work such as
storing and retrieving the data could be carried out with the help of server-side scripting
languages (such as PHP and ASP), similarly the front end work could be handled using
JavaScript, HTML, CSS.
Web applications are generally coded in scripting languages which are then run on the
browser. Some of the web applications might be dynamic which then requires server-side
scripting language.
Trigger request is sent by the user to the web server using the internet with the help of
browser or with help of any different interface. Web server helps by sending the request to
any distinct web application server. This is used to process the requests and various queries
and results by generating those requests. The result is then sent to web server by the web
application and further the web server sends desired response to the browser at the user’s end
based on their request.
Web Application Functions: Web application is today’s market demands better performance
than before. The services of web applications are to be available throughout the entire day.
Also, web applications should be accessible from anywhere at anytime desired. Web
applications must be flexible in nature alongside being fully secure as well as should be
scalable and must provide high user experience.
Cloud Hosting: Cloud based web applications are mostly preferred because they require
low-memory and provides higher-throughput by ASP.NET based web applications. In other
words, smaller versions of ASP.NET can be hosted on the similar hardware by the developer.
In order to describe Higher-throughput, it could be explained as serving the entire web
application to any number of users with the help of same hardware.
No Platform Dependency: Web applications are platform independent, for example
ASP.NET can be executed on either windows or MacOS. It could also be run on Linux based
computers. The reason these applications are platform independent is because they are hard
coded on the languages supported by the browser which can be accessed on various browsers
and different kinds of hardware.
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No automated tests required: Web applications support unit testing instead of any other
testing. It is loose coupled and it also supports dependency injections which makes it easier to
swap infrastructure when time comes. Functional tests helps in making requests to the in-
memory server, helping in exercising the full application of stack which further includes
filters, middleware, routing as well as model binding. And then receives a response. All this
process takes just a fraction of time, which would have taken the app to be hosted on a real
server also while making requests using the network layer.
Easy development: Web applications can be developed easily with the help of a simple text
editor and by using command line interface. Beside this, there are a number of applications
which helps in developing web applications.
Advantages:
1) Easily accessible from anywhere at any time with the help of the internet. Also, it
supports various kinds of hardware and it is not a problem.
2) Data can be accessed from any remote location at any time. Time and place is not a
boundary. The software can be always updated to support web application.
3) Web applications are made so that they can be accessed by any device. They are
compatible with any hardware or device. They are flexible as well as scalable. These web
applications can be joined in by any new user in just seconds, it only requires license.
4) Web applications do not depend on any particular platform. They are platform
independent.
5) Web application code can be modified or changed very easily and conveniently(Keir
Desailly, 2018).
1.2: Critically compare different types of server side and client side scripting
languages.
Table 1: difference between client-side and server-side scripting language
BAISIS CLIENT-SIDE
SCRIPTING
LANGUAGE
SERVER-SIDE
SCRIPTING
LANGUAGE
Basic It works at the front end
which is totally visible to
the user’s browser.
It works at the back end of
the web application which
is not visible at the client’s
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browser.
Languages used Languages used by client
side scripting languages
are HTML, CSS,
JavaScript and many more.
Whereas, languages
preferred by server side
scripting language is PHP,
ASP.NET, Python, Ruby
on Rails.
Processing requirement Client side scripting
language does not require
server for functioning.
Server required for this
process.
Security concerns It is insecure because this
is visible to all the users
and customers.
It is relatively secure.
Affect It reduces the load at
server side (Gupta &
Gupta, 2016).
It can effectively customize
the web pages and gives
dynamic website.
1.3: Examine web security concerns and make recommendations for security
improvements.
1) Software Update: When keeping the software updated it helps in making the site more
secure. It is applicable to both the client as well as server side scripting language. Making a
website secure is generally the task handled by the hosting companies. If there ever comes a
situation where the developer is using some third-party software, at such time the developer
needs to quickly secure the website by applying security patches as in the form of CMS.
Developers may use any different kind of tool such as composer, npm, even ruby gems to
manage the security and the software regarding the web application.
2) SQL injection: This is a common and severe attack used by the hackers. This attack
occurs when an attacker uses web form based URL parameter to destroy or manipulate the
database. In this the hacker uses SQL transacts to insert rogue code into the query which then
manipulates the database and the tables in it to extract information.
3) Awareness regarding error messages: User needs to be careful regarding what kind of
information they are sharing in error messages. Developer should also keep in mind to share
less error messages to the user. When providing too much details on the error messages, it
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causes SQL injection attacks.
4) Validation: Validation must be provided by the developer to both the client as well as
server side. Mandatory fields like validations could be checked by the browser. To keep
database as well as server free of attacks which in turn could be malicious, to prevent this, a
security code as a patchwork should be used.
5) Strong password: In order to secure the web application and information shared, the user
should keep complex passwords. It should carry Upper and Lower case alphabets, numbers
and special characters. A combination of these will build up a strong and complex password.
Even website domain area requires a strong password to manage both the client and server
side. Strong passwords help in securing the website, personal accounts, and useful
information. Further, passwords should always be in an encrypted form. Hashing could also
be used so as to authenticate the user and keep the files safe from attacks. In addition, to
provide more security passwords could be salt protected.
6) Using HTTPS instead of HTTP: Https is a secured communication protocol. It has been
made mandatory to use Https protocol to access any website to keep the data secure. Https
secures the website, when user accesses a particular site, it secures the transit and protects
from changing the data (CommonPlaces Interactive, 2018).
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LO2 be able to design web application.
2.1 Design a web application to meet a given requirement.
Figure 1: Dashboard Page
Figure 2: Profile page
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Figure 3: Change password
Figure 4: Hostel Booking Page
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Figure 5: Room details page
Figure 6: Access log Page
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Figure 7: login page
Figure 8: Admin Login Page
2.2 Synthesise client-side and server-side functionality in a web application.
There are many technologies, tools and languages which can be used to develop web
applications. Some of them are listed below:
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