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The UcompOS Rich Experience Framework
The UcompOS Rich Experience Framework is a client-side architecture for the development of Rich Internet Applications.
The UcompOS #Project Architect is Edward Mansouri, Ucompass.com, Inc. Chairman and Founder.
Contents |
Overview
The UcompOS consists of an Adobe Flex-based portal and an extensible SDK (Software Development Kit) that enables developers to create Desktop-like experiences delivered via the web browser using a variety of technologies including Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), and HTML/JavaScript/CSS.
The best way to describe the UcompOS Rich Experience Framework is to compare it to a computer Operating System such as Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.
The Portal can be thought of as the Operating System. Just like an Operating System, the SDK that is available to developers enables them to build applications that access all the APIs that the UcompOS exposes. Just like in an Operating System, the APIs enable things such as the opening and closing of windows, cosmetic enhancement of the User Interface, as well as the control of many other aspects of the user experience that will be covered in detail in these articles.
Features
MDI (Multiple Document Interface)
The UcompOS is equipped with a Multiple Document Interface that enables applications to open, size, close, move, and customize windows and then to populate these windows with content.
As with windows in most Operating System environments, UcompOS windows provide minimize/maximize/restore, and close buttons.
Application Dock
Similar to the Application Dock offered by the Mac OS X Operating System, the UcompOS provides a dock that can present the user with application icons to click on to launch an application.
The dock can be positioned horizontally or vertically and context menus (right-click menus) can be situated onto the individual application icons.
Menu Bar
The UcompOS provides a Menu Bar along the top portion of its User Interface. Individual applications can set the Menu Bar options and can programmatically respond to user interactions with the Menu Bar.
Style Management
The UcompOS enables individual applications the ability to fully customize the visual and aesthetic appearance of the UcompOS User Interface including setting a background image/pattern, visual themes for MDI windows, as well as font/color properties.
User Interface Artifacts
Applications can create visual artifacts on the UcompOS User Interface and attach functionality to them that can be driven by interactions between the user and the artifacts.
Desktop Integration
Applications can be built with the Adobe Integrated Runtime which would enable applications to access desktop-based functionality and content on the user's native Operating System.
HTML Integration
UcompOS Applications can be HTML-based and can be loaded into UcompOS MDI Windows, or, launched in satellite browser windows. In addition, applications can interact with the HTML shell that the UcompOS User Interface is loaded into.
Architecture
The UcompOS consists of a number of components that work together harmoniously to create a seamless OS-like experience.
In order to develop high quality end-user experiences with the UcompOS, it is essential to have a strong command of the different core components of the UcompOS and how to manipulate them to create the exact user experiences you desire.
The illustration below shows a high-level schematic of the UcompOS Rich Experience Framework:
Core Technologies
Flash Player 10
The UcompOS Portal is a Flex 4 application that targets at a minimum Flash Player 10 and above. Flash Player 10 therefore should be considered the minimum acceptable version of the Flash Player for use of the UcompOS.
ActionScript 3
UcompOS Applications can be built using any version of Flash or Flex, however, in order for them to able to tie into the UcompOS (i.e. talk to other applications, affect changes to the UcompOS UI, etc.), the applications must be written with ActionScript 3.
JavaScript
UcompOS Applications can be HTML-based and can employ the UcompOS JavaScript SDK. This offers flexibility to those developers who may not have experience building Flash or Flex applications.
Adobe AIR 2.0
UcompOS Applications can be built with Adobe AIR 2.0 which is available to the public as of November 2009.
Project Architect
The UcompOS Rich Experience Framework was conceptualized and engineered by Mr. Edward Mansouri, the Chairman and Founder of Ucompass.com, Inc., a firm that has developed and marketed an e-Learning software application called Educator since 1999. The follow-up to Educator is called Educator 2 and it is to be the first enterprise application built entirely on top of the UcompOS Rich Experience Framework. It is targeted for commercial release in 2010.
Mansouri has been building Flash-based e-Learning content since 1998, and Rich Internet Applications with Flash-based technologies starting with Flash 5 in 2001 through the current Adobe Flash Builder 4.
Mansouri founded and published the website O2Apps.com in 2007, which is a site dedicated to developers building applications with Adobe AIR.
Mansouri has published several articles on advanced topics of Flash, Flex, and AIR programming and has spoken on these topics at numerous conferences.
Mansouri welcomes you to e-mail him with questions about the UcompOS Rich Experience Framework to emansouri@ucompass.com. He will make himself extensively available to developers and designers in 2010 to help get the UcompOS project off the ground and will also be releasing a blog and discussion forum dedicated to the UcompOS.
