Data Abstract for JavaScript is a completely native JavaScript implementation of the Data Abstract client infrastructure, allowing you to create rich web client based applications and websites that can access Data Abstract servers and Relativity Server and retrieve, present and update data.

• Data Abstract for JavaScript applications can run in the web browser (or in other surroundings where JavaScript scripting is supported) and use 100% native JavaScript to talk directly to Data Abstract servers – just like clients written in any of the other platforms.

• Data Abstract for JavaScript gives developers the familiar client APIs to work with data – from the RemoteDataAdapter over DataTables to Deltas, all within the JavaScript language and object model.

• Data Abstract for JavaScript applications can be standalone (such as an independent set of HTML, CSS and JS files) or can be served from inside a Data Abstract server's HTTP channel.

• Data Abstract for JavaScript builds on RemObjects SDK for JavaScript, which provides you with the full RemObjects SDK client infrastructure to access RO custom web services from your JavaScript applications as well.

• Data Abstract for JavaScript is part of every Data Abstract for .NET and Delphi server, as well as Relativity Server.

Common use cases for DA/JavaScript include:

• Embedding light-weight data presentation or editing capabilities into your standalone server executable.
• Accessing data from your middle tier in a rich client-based browser application.
• Accessing data in your website without relying on server-side ASP.NET or PHP code.
• Building applications for other JavaScript-based platforms, such as Titanium, webOS, etc.
• Building HTML5 based offline web apps for Apple iOS that work with data from your middle tier
• … and many more
.

DA/JavaScript in Action

Enabling JavaScript client access in your existing Data Abstract Servers is as easy as dropping a component and setting a few properties.

Data Abstract for .NET and Delphi

Simply drop the new JavaScriptHttpDispatcher (.NET) or TDAJavaScriptHttpDispatcher (Delphi) component into your application and connect it to your Server Channel. Your server will automatically start serving the DataAbstract.js library that clients can use to connect to your server, in a "/js" subfolder of your HTTP service.

In addition, you can also have it serve custom HTML, JavaScripts and related files, either from a folder or embedded as resource into your server executable, allowing your server to be fully self-contained and be able to serve up the web client code itself.

Alternatively, if you want to have your data accessible from external web files, for example hosted as part of your regular website, you can set the new SendCrossDomainHeader property on the Server Channel to indicate to web browsers that they may allow pages from other domains to connect with your service.

Relativity Server

It's even easier when hosting your middle tier in Relativity Server: Simply check the "Enable JavaScript Publishing" setting to make DataAbstract.js and related files available via HTTP, and check "Enable Cross-Domain Header" to have the server return the proper CORS flags so that client browsers will allow JavaScript from external sources to access the server.

And that's it – all that is left to do is to implement your actual web client, using the DataAbstract.js APIs to retrieve and update data, and regular web technologies such as custom HTML/js, or frameworks such as jQuery to present your data.

Find out more

Check out this wiki article to get started, or get an overview of the available APIs, here.