Web Interface for the Matrix Mapping Tool

Samuel Gross
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Mentorship at Virtual Technology Corporation

Objective

As part of my mentorship at Virtual Technology Corporation, I will create a web
interface for the Matrix Mapping Tool (MMT).  The web interface will have the 
same functionality as the desktop application and a similar look and feel.  

Justification

A web interface has many advantages over a purely desktop based application, 
including the ability to access it from any computer without the need to 
install additional software.

Description

The front-end of the web interface will be coded using HTML and JavaScript.  I 
will use JavaScript to manipulate the Document Object Model (DOM) to provide 
the same functionality as the desktop application.  The DOM provides functionality 
to dynamically change the web page, such as adding or modifying text or other 
elements, without needing to refresh the web page.  I will use CSS style sheets 
to give the web interface a similar look and feel as the desktop application.


The back-end of the web interface will consist of Java servlets that will rely 
heavily on existing code from the MMT project.

I will also use Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript + XML) for bidirectional 
communication between the web interface and the server, without needing to 
refresh the web page.  

Limitations

The principal limitation I will encounter is time; I will need to complete most 
of the web interface during my summer mentorship at VTC.  Another important 
limitation is the varying support of the DOM between browsers.  I will focus 
on supporting Internet Explorer 6 and Mozilla Firefox, because of time 
limitations.