GI FAQ

GI Framework is an extensible set of JavaScript object libraries that instantly add RIA capabilities to an end users browser. GI Framework takes seconds to load the first time, and restores instantly from the browser's file cache as would any .gif or .jpeg image on subsequent uses. GI Framework hypercharges the browser's capabilities providing extensible libraries of GUI, data, event, and communication class objects. Therefore you can have multiple GI applications that are as large as the browser window, are deployed as portlets, or run in-line with your existing HTML pages.

GI Builder is a visual development tool that that makes building Web applications and components with GI Framework very easy. GI Builder features a host of visual tools for modeling GUIs, connecting to HTTP/S, XML and SOAP services, introspecting objects and messages, debugging JavaScript, and authoring client side behaviors and logic. What's more, GI Builder is itself an instance of an application powered by the GI Framework. As they say, we "eat our own dog food."

Historically organizations creating and deploying applications have had to choose between the rich features, high performance, high productivity, and high development, deployment and maintenance costs of desktop installed software applications and the lower development and deployment cost, lower functionality, lesser productivity of HTML based applications accessed via Web browser. GI provides the best of both: The speed and performance of desktop installed user interfaces with the low cost development, deployment and maintenance of the Web.

GI is designed for anyone seeking to provide Web applications and components that look and feel like traditional operating system GUI components, but prefers instant deployment to a browser rather than pre-installation by the end user and higher post-installation application maintenance costs over time.

GI is client-side technology. There is no server executable component to GI. Therefore you can use GI with any Web or HTTP server technology of your choice. GI's Rich Internet Application capabilities can be easily added to any HTML web page with a single line of JavaScript that references the URL of General Interface Framework on the server providing the page and the location of the GI application you want to include in that page. GI Framework takes seconds to load initially, and restores even more rapidly from the browser's file cache as would any .gif or .jpeg image. Once loaded GI extends the browser's capabilities providing extensible libraries of GUI, data, event, and communication class objects that can be instanced in that page. Therefore you can have multiple GI applications that are as large as the browser window, are deployed as portlets, or run in-line within your existing HTML pages.

Developers today are using GI to replace dependencies on pre-installed client environments including Java clients or applet libraries, active-x controls, plug-ins, and applications that previously required desktop installation... and accordingly are saving time, money and headaches. That said, there's nothing in the GI environment that prohibits you from including any other asset that would otherwise run in a Web browser. That's the benefit of using standard browser technology.