Tabular Data Facilities
A set of components for tabular data management and visualization. The aim is to provide both the developers and the users with a common API and uniform interface for tabular data visualization and manipulation. This document outlines the design rationale, key features, and high-level architecture, as well as the options deployment.
Overview
The goal of this set of components is to offer a common layer on tabular data management for all the service and application managing this kind of data. Example of target applications are Time Series Manager, Code List Manager, Aquamps Service.
The components are able to manage the tabular data stored in a relational database and to visualize it using GWT technology. The components can be easily in both in server and front-end part of complex application that use tabular data.
Other than visualization the component set will offer a set of common functionality for tabular data like filtering, sorting, data modification, replace and so on.
Key features
The subsystem provides for:
- comprehensive facilities for tabular data management
- The subsystem offers a comprehensive set of data management facilities oriented to tabular data. Facilities include data import, data editing, and data filtering;
- user-friendly interface
- The subsystem offers a graphical user interface where users can visualize the data and perform the basic operation in a very user-friendly environment;
- re-usability orientation
- The subsystem is conceived to promote the reuse of its facilities in application dealing with tabular data; Moreover, it is conceived to be open so that additional functions can be easily added to serve domain specific cases;
Design
Philosophy
This represents an application of "design for reuse" philosophy, where software components are design for be reuse in multiple project.
Architecture
The Tabular Data Manager comprises the following component:
- Tabular Data Library: a library that offers Tabular Data storage and management functionality over a Relational Database system. Data can come from the hosting service or can be loaded through a set of utilities provided by the library;
- Tabular Data Widget: a GWT widget that visualizes the data provided by the Tabular Data Library in a grid fashion. The widget provides both client and server, in GWT terminology, components;
- Tabular Data Bridge: a connector between the data library e the widget. The connector will provide facilities for component communication like data transfer and functionality recall.;
A diagram of the relationships between these components is reported in the following figure:
Deployment
The Tabular Data Library should be deployed with the hosting service, while the Tabular Data Widget should be integrated in the front-end application.
Use Cases
Well suited Use Cases
The manager is particularly suited when the developer want to offers to the user an easy-to-use and common-sense user interface for tabular data visualization and manipulation. This set of components should be used whenever a Excel-like interface is required.
Subsystems
This component has no particular requirements in terms of needed subsystems.
