This project is about developing a reusable Web Application Framework (WAF) which can be used as a basis for rapid Web Client Application (WCA) development. Since almost all Web Clients require the same basic functionality like database access, user account management, error handling, etc. this approach is considered to be advantageous for a number of reasons. In particular, it offers to WCA developer the advantages of: speeding up the development time and makes the basis of all developed WCA generalised if they are build once in a generic way (using the WAF) instead of implementing all basic features for every project every time – in a slightly different way – again from scratch. This project presents such a reusable WAF which contains all needed basic functionalities for WCA.

The WAF is implemented in PHP on an Apache web-server with the MySQL database system. Plug-ins, which are using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern are utilised to handle application specific types of content. This structure makes the WAF highly expandable, maintainable, flexible and above all reusable because the WAF stays the same and only the application specific Plug-ins gets changed or replaced.

A part of this project, was to evaluate the WAF by applying it to two different types of WCA which handle different types of content: A Bank Sort Code application and a Google Contact Manager. It was found that this has involved no more work other than the development of the application specific algorithms. Finally, it was noted that the WAF save a lot of work in the development of the two example WCA and should therefore also save a lot of work in further WCA.

In a world without free education it was the most important help for me to have full financial support throughout my whole study course. Without the understanding of the importance of this academic grade from my parents Irmgard and Jürgen Thiel, this bachelor thesis would not have been possible.

I also have to thank the student exchange program ERASMUS for the financial and organising support which made it possible to study this final year abroad. The same to the financial support from the German government through the Bafög program.

I would also like to express my thank to Enda Finn, my supervisor, for his valuable support, his helpful suggestions and encouragement for this project.

1. Introduction
   1. Background
   2. Project Aims
   3. Project Objectives
2. Requirements analysis
   1. The Web Application Framework
      1. Must have features
      2. Should have features
      3. Could have features
      4. Would be nice features
   2. The Sort Code System
   3. The Google Contact Application
3. Literary Review
   1. Web Application Frameworks & Content Management Systems
   2. Assortment of technologies and models
      1. The web-server runtime platform
      2. The scripting language
      3. The database system
   3. PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
   4. The Model-View-Controller design pattern
      1. The Model
      2. The View
      3. The Controller
   5. German sort codes
   6. The Client
4. Architecture Design
   1. Application Frontend and Backend
      1. The Backend
      2. The Frontend
   2. Core
      1. Core features
      2. Core Database structure
   3. Application specific content Plug-ins
      1. Design pattern
      2. MVC Build-up
      3. Naming conventions
      4. Installation & Uninstallation
   4. Modules
   5. System contract and Plug-in constraints
      1. Files
      2. Users and Privileges
      3. Logs
   6. Exception Handling
5. Implementation
   1. Backend
   2. Frontend
   3. WAF Installation
   4. Modules
      1. HTML Form generator (Class: mtForms)
      2. XML Parser
   5. Plug-ins
      1. MVC design Pattern
      2. System Plug-ins
      3. Plug-in: Sort Code System
      4. Plug-in: Google Contact Manager
6. Testing and Evaluation
   1. Unit and Integration tests
   2. Acceptance tests
   3. Evaluation of the WAF
   4. The Sort Code System
   5. The Google Contacts Manager
7. Conclusion
   1. Learning Outcomes
   2. Occurred Problems
   3. Future Work

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