Features

What can I do with WODA ?

Any simple database application which:

• Should run on the WWW,
• requires user input and
• can be modeled as a few loosely related tables.

Examples of such applications are membership lists, bibliographies, document archives, virtual journals and libraries, catalogues, hot lists, classifieds, discussion systems, mailing list archives, rings of web pages, questionnaires ...

Payroll systems, blood bank applications, military strength applications are not what you would use WODA for (although it would be tempting).

Where is it used ?

Since it is so easy to generate a new database (a 10 min effort from a schema to fully running application), we are using it for everything.
Some of our recent projects are:

• SOPS - SciX Open Publishing System an application allowing open access publishing of (scientific) works. The organization of conferences and workshops including the review process is supported as well.
• CUMINCAD - a simple bibliographic database of CAAD papers.
• CONNET Calculation and Software Center - a relational database containing information about publishers of engineering software.

What are WODA's strenths ?

The usual way of developing database applications is to define the schema and the application logic, and create the three tier structure:

1. implement the data storage in SQL,
2. the application logic in a programming language (such as C, C#, PHP ...) and
3. define the user interface as a combination of static html files and dynamically generated pages.

The approach taken by Woda is radically different. One just needs to define what the data to be managed is. If, for example, it includes the handling of a person's name, all the we know about names is stored in one place. How a name is displayed, how is it entered, who is allowed to enter it etc. Based on this hundered of different pages needed to use and manage the application are generated automatically.

• WODA is relying on an extensive data definition structures that allow the manager of the database to rapidly define the whole database system without programming or defining individual screens or forms. Decent application can be done without any HTML coding or programming. Basic knowledge of programming principles is welcome, though.
• WODA is easy to install and self contained. No other libraries or packages are required. Only Perl language interpreter and an httpd server must be available.
• No CPAN modules are required; no database (like mySQL) is needed.
• After WODA is installed and set up, 99.9% of all database development tasks can be done from within the browser. The database definition is done through forms using browser or even using sample data.
• WODA's data storage is robust. Data is stored in ASCII files, easy to read, port, hack ...
• WODA supports several field types including TEXT, TEXTAREA, HTMLAREA, OPTION, LINKOPTION, DATE, EMAIL, URL, FILE, USERFILE, COMPUTE and BREAK.
• WODA allows for rich text editing (WYSIWYG) of HTMLAREA type fields which makes it an ideal tool for a content management application.
• WODA can include binary fields, like documents, images, movies, etc. of any size.
• There is no limit to size of record or number of records other than those imposed by the Web server's file system.
• WODA uses industry standard search syntax. 'Best-match' searching does a full text search of the database and provides relevancy ratings.
• Complex searches can be assembled using friendly query builder interface similar to other query building applications (e.g. MS Query).
• Searches are remembered and can be stored. Search history is maintained.
• Several browsing options are generated automatically based on OPTION fields, e.g. Yahoo like hierarchical browsing and several other, more sophisticated.
• The system messages can be translated. From English, WODA has been translated into German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese, Croatian and Slovenian.
• Each record may be password protected by the person who entered it.
• Database administrator can create user based protection of operations and data, based on server side authentication, username/password validation within WODA or host name based authentication within WODA.
• Database administration is web based - the administrator may delete outdated records, generate static .html pages and even change the database definition ... all from within a browser.
• WODA remembers. It remembers user's options, when he last searched for something (so that we can show only changes since), an item he typically enters into a field (e.g. email address) etc. WODA can store any filled-in form.
• WODA includes an agent that can do searches for the user and remind him of changes periodically by email.
• WODA databases are open and can export/import data from Windows applications such as Microsoft Excel or Access.
• WODA is fast.
• WODA includes shopping basket functionality, which is very handy to collect favorite items from a database and print them out together (e.g. all relevant papers, all interesting people, all interesting links ...).
• WODA handles registration of the users of the database, so the administrator knows who is using the application.
• WODA allows for unlimited undo of all database transactions and backups/restoration of the data.
• WODA maintains its own log files.
• WODA identifies Web robots and treats them as specified.
• WODA can deliver Web Services like RSS, OAI harvesting or a service to populate the Office 2003 Research Task Pane.
• WODA includes Web Services interfaces (defined in WSDL) and XML API that allows for read/write of data in XML.