Abstract: Rails just keeps on changing. Both Rails 3 and 4, as well as Ruby 1.9 and 2.0, bring hundreds of improvements, including new APIs and substantial performance enhancements. The fourth edition of this award-winning classic has been reorganized and refocused so it's more useful than ever before for developers new to Ruby and Rails. Rails 4 introduces a number of user-facing changes, and the ebook has been updated to match all the latest changes and new best practices in Rails. This includes full support for Ruby 2.0, controller concerns, Russian Doll caching, strong parameters, Turbolinks, new test and bin directory layouts, and much more. Ruby on Rails helps you produce high-quality, beautiful-looking web applications quickly. You concentrate on creating the application, and Rails takes care of the details. Tens of thousands of developers have used this award-winning book to learn Rails. It's a broad, far-reaching tutorial and reference that's recommended by the Rails core team. If you're new to Rails, you'll get step-by-step guidance. If you're an experienced developer, this book will give you the comprehensive, insider information you need. Rails has evolved over the years, and this book has evolved along with it. We still start with a step-by-step walkthrough of building a real application, and in-depth chapters look at the built-in Rails features. This edition now gives new Ruby and Rails users more information on the Ruby language and takes more time to explain key concepts throughout. Best practices on how to apply Rails continue to change, and this edition keeps up. Examples use Concerns, Russian Doll caching, and Turbolinks, and the book focuses throughout on the right way to use Rails. Additionally, this edition now works on Ruby 2.0, a new release of Ruby with substantial functional and performance improvements. This edition is for Rails4.0 and beyond.

Abstract: The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, is deploying a flexible learning scheme for selected pilot courses in engineering education. In such a scheme, traditional lectures and written exercises are combined with additional Web-based learning resources. The main objective of this initiative is to sustain the evolution from traditional teaching to active learning and to better integrate the increasing number of educational resources available online. In engineering education, a key activity to sustain the learning process is hands-on experimentation carried out using either simulation tools or real equipment. This paper describes how a collaborative Web-based experimentation environment has been introduced at the EPFL for providing more flexibility to students performing laboratory experiments in automatic control, biomechanics, and fluid mechanics. It particularly describes the eJournal, a Web service integrated in the proposed learning environment that enables the collection and sharing of preparatory notes and experimental results with both peers and teaching assistants.

Abstract: WebGIS (also known as web‐based GIS and Internet GIS) denotes a type of Geographic Information System (GIS), whose client is implemented in a Web browser. WebGISs have been developed and used extensively in real‐world applications. However, when such a complex web‐based system involves the dissemination of large volumes of data and/or massive user interactions, its performance can become an issue. In this paper, we first identify several major potential performance problems with WebGIS. Then, we discuss several possible techniques to improve the performance. These techniques include the use of pyramids and hash indices on the server side to handle large images. To resolve server‐side conflicts originating from concurrent massive access and user interactions, we suggest clustering and multithreading techniques. Multithreading is also used to break down the long sequential, layer‐based data access to concurrent data access on the client side. Caching is suggested as a means to enhance concurrent data access...

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for searching for files on the Internet. In one embodiment, the method may provide an application crawler that assembles and dynamically instantiates all components of a web page. The instantiated web application may then be analyzed to locate desired components on the web page. This may involve finding and analyzing all clickable items in the application, driving the web application by injecting events, and extracting information from the application and writing it to a file or database.

Abstract: Our dependence on web applications has steadily increased, and we continue to integrate them into our everyday routine activities. When we are making reservations, paying bills, and shopping on-line, we expect these web applications to be secure and reliable. However, as the availability of these services has increased, there has been a corresponding increase in the number and sophistication of attacks that target them. One of the most serious types of attack against web applications is SQL injection. SQL injection is a class of code-injection attacks in which user input is included in a SQL query in such a way that part of the input is treated as code. Using SQL injection. attackers can leak confidential information, such as credit card numbers, from web applications' databases and even corrupt the database. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to counter SQL-injection. The technique combines conservative static analysis and runtime monitoring to detect and stop illegal queries before they are executed on the database. In its static part, the technique builds a conservative model of the legitimate queries that could be generated by the application. In its dynamic part, the technique inspects the dynamically generated queries for compliance with the statically-built model. We also present a preliminary evaluation of the technique performed on two small web applications. The results of the evaluation are promising---our technique was able to prevent all of the attacks that we performed on the two applications.

Abstract: A Web-based audio-only or audio/video conferencing system designed for use by individual participants in a conference. In one embodiment one participant in the system is designated the ‘moderator’. The moderator accepts requests to transmit made by other conference participants and is responsible for granting and revoking requests. All conference participants receive streams transmitted by other conference participants (passive participation). Once permission to transmit is granted to a participant, the participant may choose to transmit at his or her discretion (active participation). The moderator always has the ability to transmit at his or her own discretion.

Abstract: A system and method that facilitates dynamic group formation for social interaction and/or real-time sharing of content with the group is provided A group formation system includes a user interface component that facilitates a user's entry of information and display of information regarding group formation For example, the user interface component can be employed, for example, with a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a small, web based mobile or a wireless application protocol (WAP) client, and/or a regular web client The system can further include a group formation component that forms a group based, at least in part, upon information received from a user via the interface component The group configuration component can further store information regarding groups (eg, a name/identifier, member(s), event(s) and/or shared context associated with the group) in a group information data store For example, the group configuration component can form a group based, at least in part, upon information stored in the group information data store (implicit group formation) The group information data store can, optionally, provide archival access to communications and/or shared content (eg, through a mobile communications device and/or a PC-based web browser)

Abstract: This report investigates the causes and prevalence of failure in Web applications. Data was collected by surveying case studies of system failures and by examining incidents of website outages listed on technology websites such as CNET.com and eweek.com. These studies suggest that software failures and human error account for about 80% of failures. The report also contains an appendix that serves as a quick reference for common failures observed in Web applications. This appendix lists over 40 incidents of real-world site outages, outlining how these failures were detected, the estimated downtime, and the subsequent recovery action.

Abstract: A text mining system for collecting business intelligence about a client, as well as for identifying prospective customers of the client, for use in a lead generation system accessible by the client via the Internet. The text mining system has various components, including a data acquisition process that extracts textual data from various Internet sources, a database for storing the extracted data, a text mining server that executes query-based searches of the database, and an output repository. A web server provides client access to the repository, and to the mining server.

Abstract: A Web-based laboratory exercise with remote access is presented, through which a student of Electrical/Electronic Engineering is introduced in both a theoretical and practical way, to many fundamental aspects of power electronics. The system is flexible and can expand the range of laboratory exercises where full-scale laboratories are not feasible. In the electrical environment, limits can be placed on voltages and currents for safety reasons. Prelaboratory investigations allow students to take an active involvement in the learning process by addressing some challenging and critical aspects of the design before approaching the physical system. Further understanding is gained by studying the circuit in a Web-based, interactive power electronics seminar (iPES) by simulating the circuit using PSpice and then analyzing the control and feedback issues with MATLAB. In the final stage, a real power converter is tested remotely over the Web, and the cycle of design, simulation, and test is completed using Web-based tools.

Abstract: This paper presents a distributed reputation and trust management framework that addresses the challenges of eliciting, evaluating and propagating reputation for Web applications. We propose a broker framework where every service user is associated with a broker who may represent multiple users. A broker collects for its users the distributed reputation ratings about any Web service. In return, a user provides its broker the transaction rating after every transaction with any service in order to build up the reputation database on all services. In addition, brokers form a trust network where they exchange and collect reputation data about services. By delegating trust management to brokers, individual users only need to ask their brokers about the reputation of a service before any transaction with a server. The only overhead for a user is the responsibility to share the reputation feedback with its broker. We present the distributed reputation and trust management framework and show the performance of the system by simulations.

Abstract: Several methodologies and tools have been proposed for Web applications design and development. However, traditional Web applications are still inadequate to support the interaction and presentation functionalities demanded by the users. Recently, rich Internet applications (RIAs) have been proposed as an answer to these problems providing new levels of interactivity and presentation. The use of RIAs is growing exponentially; nevertheless there is a lack of full development methodologies in this sense. This document outlines the main features, which should be modeled in RIAs and proposes an evaluation process in order to obtain the suitability of a methodology to accomplish this goal. We also use this process to evaluate the suitability of several existing Web, multimedia and hypermedia methodologies to demonstrate that each one accomplishes only few RIA features, so new methodologies or extensions of the actual methodologies become necessary.

Abstract: A system and method for providing on-line advertising is presented An interface guiding on-line advertising creation is presented An advertisement is created from at least one of user inputs and stored data and includes information describing at least one item An advertising creative is generated in association with the advertisement and includes a hyperlink reference to the advertisement The advertisement is hosted on-line as a Web page and the advertising creative is place on one or more targeted Web pages

Abstract: L'A. examine la recherche sur l'apprentissage automatique et les techniques de recherche d'information traditionnelles, et leurs possibles applications pour les systemes de fouille sur le Web. La fouille du Web est entendue comme la decouverte et l'analyse d'information utile sur le Web, domaine d'etudes a la croisee de la recherche d'information, la recherche sur le Web, l'apprentissage automatique, les bases de donnees, la fouille de donnees et la fouille de texte. Les etudes sur la fouille du Web se repartissent en trois categories, selon que l'on considere le contenu du Web, sa structure ou son usage.

Abstract: The invention is an internet based system for developing skills in internet users. The system is a database and application on web servers, communicating over the internet with user client browser applications. The database contains subject texts, associated system and user reference materials. The subject texts are divided into portions, words and phrases, for reference purposes. The system reference materials are text, and media divided into portions corresponding to particular portions of the divided subject text. The user selects a subject text; renders it into a web page, navigates through it, displaying and playing the system reference material dynamically given the particular portion of the subject text.

Abstract: A method and system for implementing on-line financial institution services via a single physical and logical platform deploys global online banking applications in an environment in which the applications are built from a single source base and adapted to various business rules and languages associated with different regions, countries and businesses. Separate web apps are created for each individual business according to contextual attributes, and application servers running the context dependent web apps provide the interface between customers and banking functionality. The platform relies in part on reuse of appropriate components to achieve integration, as well as sharing of core services. As a result of the independent nature of business specific components, each business may require different versions of application software and may update or implement new components without affecting existing business components.

Abstract: The rapid pervasion of the web into users' daily lives has put much importance on capturing location-specific information on the web, due to the fact that most human activities occur locally around where a user is located. This is especially true in the increasingly popular mobile and local search environments. Thus, how to correctly and effectively detect geographic locations from web resources has become a key challenge to location-based web applications. In our previous work, we proposed to explicitly distinguish three types of locations for web resources, namely provider location, content location and serving location. Provider location is the physical location of the provider who owns the web resource; content location is the geographic location described in the web content; while serving location is the geographic scope that a web resource can reach. In this paper, we present a system that comprehensively employs a set of algorithms and different geographic sources by extracting geographic information from the web content, and mining hyperlink structures as well as user logs. As the result, only relevant geographic sources, rather than all of possible ones are used in computation of each category of web location. Finally, experimental results on large samples of web data show that our solution outperforms previous approaches.

Abstract: The rapid advancement and deployment of Web applications call for a precise yet simple model for capacity planning and analysis purposes. The most widely deployed Web application architecture is the 3-tiered system, which is composed of a front-end Web server, an application server and a backend database server. In this paper, we present an analytical model of the 3-tiered Web application architecture. We show by using queueing network theory, we can model the 3-tiered Web application architecture accurately. A test-bed is built to measure model parameters based on industry standard server components and TPC-W benchmark. Validation results show that the proposed model predicts performance measures such as response time and throughput accurately.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To assess the feasibility of providing in-home adjunctive and supportive services to persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their families via a Web site. DESIGN Nineteen families were provided with access to the Web site intervention for 6 months. Those who needed it were provided with a computer and Internet service in their homes. PARTICIPANTS Adult women who were the significant others of adult males with moderate-to-severe TBI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Value and ease of use of the Web site. Each participant's usage of the Web site was automatically tracked including each page visited, time of day, and time spent on the page. RESULTS Female significant others found the Web site to be valuable and easy to use, and used it throughout the 6-month period. The on-line support group was the most used and valued module. CONCLUSIONS Family caregivers will use Web-based interventions to help meet their needs for social support, information, and guidance following the return home of persons with TBI.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer code for implementing privacy protection in a web application, wherein the web application is executed in a web application language execution environment within a web server, the method containing the steps of: establishing at least one inbound tagging rule for tagging objects entering the web application language execution environment, referred to as inbound objects, according to a respective source of each of the inbound objects; assigning a tag to at least one of the inbound objects being operated on by the web application language execution environment based on the at least one inbound tagging rule; establishing at least one privacy rule for performing privacy actions on at least one object that is outbound from the web application language execution environment, referred to as outbound objects, according to a respective tag of each of the outbound objects; and performing a privacy action on the at least one outbound object being operated on by the web application language execution environment based on the at least one privacy rule.

Abstract: Web-based memorializing is an emerging set of social practices mediated by computer networks, through which digital objects, structures, and spaces of commemoration are produced. Based on in-depth analysis of eight Web sites produced to memorialize victims of the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, we demonstrate that Web-based memorializing bears a diverse array of characteristics, only some of which are consistent with offline memorializing. Our analysis suggests that although Web sites produced by institutions or organizations may differ somewhat in form and content from those produced by individuals, public and private modes of memorializing observed offline are interpenetrated on the Web. Finally, we identify communal functions served and contributions to public memory made via Web-based memorializing, and propose a conceptual framework for use in future studies of Web-based memorializing practices.

Abstract: A method and protocol for communication between a first computer and a second computer is disclosed, along with a system providing a networked application in a client-server environment. A protocol includes a request from the first computer to the second computer including a function identifier for a function on the second computer and an argument for the function. The argument may be defined by a type for a function called by the function identifier. The protocol also includes a reply from the second computer to the first computer including the results of the function, with the reply defined as a script input for the first computer. A system providing a networked application in a client-server environment includes a set of application functions on the server, the application functions including a data type definition, and a set of client functions defining a scripting environment. The client functions are defined to include types matching each of the application functions on the server.

Abstract: An innovative web-based tool displays visual information about real estate. In one embodiment, an aerial image is overlaid with various data layers to visually present real estate data. Data associated with various embodiments of the tool can include tax parcel information, historical sales information, Multiple Listing Service information, school information, neighborhood information, and park information.

Abstract: Web-based applications provide an alternative approach to client-server computing using the internet or intranet as the transport mechanism. The invention uses the schema and system catalogs of a relational database to contain and describe the methods, features, functions, and operation of a web-based application. In the invention, a generalized object format is used to minimize bandwidth consumption and substantially improve system performance. Data is converted to and from this generalized object format by both the application server and by the client-side view controller. Formatting of the generalized data object does not rely on or use any form of markup language, markup tags, or DTD's. Transmission of the generalized data object occurs asynchronously over the internet.

Abstract: Modelling adaptive Web applications is a difficult and complex task. Usually, the development of general system functionality and context adaptation is intertwined. However, adaptivity is a cross-cutting concern of an adaptive Web application, and thus is naturally viewed as an aspect. Using aspect-oriented modelling techniques from the very beginning in the design of adaptive Web applications we achieve a systematic separation of general system functionality and context adaptation. We show the benefits of this approach by making navigation adaptive.