Dude, That's some Strange UI Architecture


2:00 - 2:50pm on Thursday, October 14 2010 in RAC C/D

Whether you know it or not, every web application platform has UI Architecture, the stuff between the front-end and the back-end (aka, the "middle-end"). You know -- things like Templating, URL Routing, Data Validation/Formatting, Ajax, Compression/Optimization, etc. The problem is, you probably didn't realize it was there, and worse, you probably have no exposure to or control over those pieces.

The traditional MVC pattern is weak when it comes to this area, and leads to poorly maintainable and poorly performing web application architecture. We need a new, radically Strange pattern -- what I call CVC (Client-View-Controller) -- which is completely decoupled from both the front-end and back-end, uses JavaScript (both in the browser and on the server) to keep code DRY (reusable in both contexts), represents data *only* as JSON so it's completely portable, and allows the entire architecture to be tuned for maximum web performance optimization.

Web application frameworks/platforms are usually written by back-end developers, for back-end developers. But this ignores most of the important needs of the front-end, and also handcuffs front-end developers from having the control they need to do things properly. CVC+JavaScript puts the power of middle-end UI Architecture back in the hands of those best suited to control it: the front-end developers.

Come prepared to dive deep into UI Architecture and JavaScript (especially on the server), and get ready to be a middle-end architect!