Part 1 - Working with OData in Lianja SQL Server

[barrymavin]

This blog article is the first in a series to show you how to work with OData in Lianja SQL Server.
http://www.lianja.com/resources/blog...ja-sql-server-

[FoxOne]

Hi,

Sounds interesting ...
Will it be possible too, to use another framework like e.g. Ext Js from Sencha as "foreground tool" and Lianja Server in the background, communicating over OData.
Ext-JS is a highly interesting Tool with many, many programming examples for newcomers and a big grid-tool but having no data server in the background.
Barry, do you think, a combination of Ext-JS and Lianja Server will be possible?

thanks,
Rene

[lianjasupport]

You can use whatever you prefer that can use OData which is just HTTP REST API based. I will be writing some additional blog articles on this soon.

You have not yet seen the Lianja Web Client. It too handles huge grids if that is what you need.

[barrymavin]

Hi Rene,

I thinks it is important to distinguish the difference between Lianja and javascript frameworks.

The Apps that you build in Lianja are built at a high level of relational database abstraction and there is a core methodology in the architecture that handles building Apps out of pages, pages out of sections, and sections out of fields and gadgets. UI Sections can be related together so you can think of the UI as a visual representation of a relational database and how all the data is organized and related.

There are many pre-built standard sections in Lianja and the overall methodology and architecture is built with the concept of ajax based web/mobile applications in mind.

One of the standard built-in sections is a "WebView". This is an embedded webkit UI component. You can build "WebView Widgets" using HTML5/JS/ExtJS/jQuery/JQM etc and have these interoperate with the other parts of your App UI. This is where you would use OData extensively.

Much of Lianja has been built like this and all UI components can be skinned and themed with standard CSS.

I have made extensive use of best-of-breed technologies in Lianja. The App Center / Home workspace is all done using HTML5/JavaScript/Knockout.js and jQuery. I have in other places used Backbone.js and other great JavaScript frameworks.

Most of the frameworks or libraries that I have used are either LGPL, MIT, Apache or similar licenses.

Some commercial components have been purchased and sub-licensed to cover distribution by not only us but also for your Apps that you develop and deploy in Lianja.

The pricing of Lianja is very affordable when you consider what you get for your money, and if you become an ISV you can even distribute Lianja SQL Server along with your Apps at no additional cost. On top of this, Lianja runs on Linux which is a highly scaleable database Apps platform which does not require any financial outlay. Please bear these things in mind when looking at other solutions.

The hiding and showing of UI elements in the DOM is all handled for you and all of the UI components are data bound automatically. There is no need to write anything to handle the client-side Ajax calls to get data and populate the UI from the server; It's all done for you.

To handcraft this level of functionality on a page by page basis in Ext JS or other JavaScript frameworks would take significant time and effort and you would have to maintain it afterwards.

The whole point of Lianja is that you build an App once and that App can be run on native desktop, browser or Mobile.

Lianja is not just a framework, nor is it an IDE, it is a complete end-to-end APaaS.

We are making good progress with the web and mobile and these will be available in due course.

Thanks for your feedback.