Rich web-based applications: an umbrella term with a definition and taxonomies for development techniques and technologies

Abstract

There is a wide range of web-based applications, which use a rich communication model such as Rich Internet Applications, mobile apps, cloud-based systems, Internet of Things based systems, etc.; however, a proper term to address them all and a definition, which covers and explains the common characteristics of them are missing. A definition of a concept is important as the definition provides a precise common understanding of the focused artifacts, which helps in increasing the realization of these artifacts towards proper utilization of them. We propose the umbrella term Rich Webbased Application to address the aforementioned types of applications, and also propose a definition for it, aligning to the common architectural characteristics of these applications. In addition, we deliver a set of taxonomies to classify the techniques and technologies related to the development of Rich Web-based Applications, in the direction of improving the understanding of the proper utilization of them. In future, we expect to introduce an architectural style for these Rich Webbased Applications, based on the proposed definition.