I have been in web programming for 2 years (Self taught - a biology researcher by profession). I designed a small wiki with needed functionalities and a scientific RTE - ofcourse lot is expected. I used mootools framework and AJAX extensively.
I was always curious when ever I saw the query strings passed from URL. Long encrypted query string directly getting passed to the server. Especially Google's design is such. I think this is the start of providing a Web Service to a client - I guess.
Now, my question is : is this a special, highly professional, efficient / advanced web design technique to communicate queries via the URL ?
I always felt that direct URL based communication is faster. I tried my bit and could send a query through the URL directly. here is the link: http://sgwiki.sdsc.edu/getSGMPage.php?8 By this , the client can directly link to the desired page instead of searching and / or can automate. There are many possibilities.
The next request: Can I be pointed to such technique of web programming? oops: I am sorry, If I have not been able to convey my request clearly.
Prasad.
I think this is the start of providing a Web Service to a client - I guess.
No not really, although it can be. Its used to have a central entry point to the entire application. Its a common practice and has all kinds of benefits, but its obviously not required. Often thes days though even a normal url you see may not actual be a physical page in the application.. each part of the path may actuall be mapped to a variable through rewriting and routing on the server side. For example the URL of this question:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2557535/general-web-programming-designing-question
Might map to something like
http://stackoverflow.com/index.php?module=questions&action=view&question=2557535&title=general-web-programming-designing-question
is this a special, highly professional, efficient / advanced web design technique to communicate queries via the URL ?
Having a centralized page through which all functions within an application are accessed is part of the Front Controller Pattern - a common pattern in applications generally used as part of the overall Model, View, Controller (MVC) pattern. In MVC, the concerns of the application are divided into the model which holds the business logic. These models are then used by the controller to perform a set of tasks which can produce output. This output is then rendered to the client (browser, window manager, etc..) via the view layer.