WEBSITE DESIGN

Website design: GUI HTML Editor

Website design: GUI HTML Editor

Research Question

Netscape Application Builder 3.0 is the first complete development suite for the company's Netscape Application Server, but is extremely buggy and should be avoided until Netscape fixes the problems. The deployment tools carry over from the previous version and remain strong, while the debugger can fix server-side code. This paper attempts to research remote debugging of GUI HTMIL Editor.

Introduction

Netscape Communications Corp.'s Netscape Application Server is one of the most powerful and widely used products in its class, but it has never had strong development tools. With the release of Netscape Application Builder 3.0, the first full-fledged development suite for the server, Netscape took aim at the void but missed.

PC Week Labs found so many bugs in tests of Application Builder shipping code that we advise Netscape Application Server customers to steer clear for now. Although we were able to develop and deploy applications using the software, getting it to perform required too many workarounds and restarts. We give the application PC Week Labs' Caution designation and suggest sticking with third-party development environments coupled with Netscape Application Server's original deployment tools.

Discussion

Netscape officials acknowledged the bugs and said they plan only a limited release of this version, with fixes to come in a service pack.

The previous version of Application Builder, 2.1, didn't have Version 3.0's WYSIWYG HTML editor, graphical project tools and interactive debugger. Version 3.0, which costs $1,295, is customized to work hand in glove with Netscape Application Server. Customers will need at least one Netscape server (Version 2.1 or later with Service Pack 3) deployed.

Version 3.0 for Windows 9x and Windows NT shipped last month; a Solaris version will ship this month.

Once we had installed Application Builder and developed some applications, we found much to like: ...