Author(s)

T. Katsimpa, S. Sirmakessis, A. Tsakalidis & G. Tzimas

Abstract

The World Wide Web evolution has posed new challenges for Web application developers. Today’s Web applications present their content in a dynamic manner, allow users to interact with them at a high level of sophistication, and manage huge amounts of data, leading to a high degree of complexity. To cope with this emerging problem, a variety of modeling methodologies, web design patterns and techniques have been introduced. In this work we propose a methodology for mining and evaluating recurrent design solutions in the conceptual schema of Web applications modeled using WebML, a modeling language for designing data-intensive applications. Identifying effective design solutions may lead to an efficient deployment of reuse. By means of our approach, an extension of the predefined set of patterns supported by WebML can be realized. What is more, when applying the methodology in a large number of applications of the same domain, templates for Web application frameworks can be identified. Keywords: reuse, web modelling, web design patterns, model mining. 1 Introduction Nowadays, the design, development and maintenance of Web applications have become some of the most challenging problems that web architects have to face. Modern Web applications are completely different in comparison to the traditional Web sites which provide only static content. They are required to manage huge amounts of data, execute various complex functions and deliver their content in a variety of forms, according to the user profile or role and according to the media with which the user accesses the application.

Keywords

reuse, web modelling, web design patterns, model mining.