Common functions in Web Development

Websites, Web Applictions, Web Services..,etc. While there are many aliases for them, the functions behind every web thing is very common, and once anyone get a clear understanding of these, they can fully develop their own class library in such a way that they don't have to repeat coding everything from scratch.

From my previous worked, I'm able to create class libraries that significantly improved the way I develop applications. Because these things doesn't need to be designed again, and just by taking the necessary parameters, all I have to do is to pass these informations, then everything is just like assembling a lego puzzle.


These are few to mention:

1. Mailer - Almost every website needs this. Feedback, comment, suggestions? All of them require mailing functionality. You can use it in your Contact Us sections, or even on your automated things, where you need to spend time sitting in front of PC just to get a track of something. How about tracking that task with a mailer so once it is completed, you'll just be notified with an e-mail? Very convinient, isn't it?


2. Encryption/Decryption - Who wants their data easily readable in ABC. These function needs a couple of parameters , like a few matching code, salt code, encryption algorithm and a few loop and you'll be playing cryptologist in no time. You'll often use this on password forms, and if you want even more, you can even encrypt a whole data table but you have to compensate that security with an extra pain in storage (you'll also make your DB Admin a bit mad). The good thing here is that, your data is safe unless they know the algorithm you use and the parameters involve. Don't play with this unless you know what you are doing. Else it is like putting papers on shredders.

3. Web Functions - GET, POST, Session, Cookies,Form, etc. They are repetitive so writing a class library saves time. I always feel comfort doing AJAX with this library since I don't have to make messy additional codes, but rather just pass a specific variable, and everything will be ajaxified back.

4. Streaming Data - Do you need to output data into tables, excel document or even pdf files? Then you must make a class that will handle all the data stream and perform output stream to each request. Since all data are basically binary streams, you can easily make a class that handle stream data and just perform specific control for each file types (using the mime).

5. String Manipulation - the very basics of programming. add it up with regular expressions and you got a very powerful control class.  While this might be basic, this saves me time. Millions of CDR needs to be parsed? No problem? Even a complicated task can be finished within minutes, depending on your computer.

6. Sounds - While this may be rare, doing so won't hurt. How about making a class that can invoke streamed data and output them to human audible sound. Not bad and I find it also interesting. (I just make my VAIO P speak up japanese words whenever I can't read some).

7. Network Related class- Imagine doing socket programming. What needs to be modified here is only a matter of port settings and few output preference. It can be easily done with a parameter that takes a port to open/listen and an output method to use.



And it is called Web Development. It may be hard at first but once you get a grasp of it, doing other things is just a matter of creative thinking and like exploring the back of your hand.