Client: International Industrial Manufacturer
Project Category: Modernization, Rewrite
Services Performed: Application Development, Integration
This retailer has an online program for creating specifications for manufacturing a particular commercial product. Not only do they use it internally, but they also license it to many other clients, each with their own website customizations and part numbers. Further, this application is also used in cases where the Internet is not available.
Keyhole team members have rewritten the client website to run completely in the browser using JavaScript. It only contacts the server to download database files and the website itself.
To achieve the “offline” mode, all of the JavaScript is also compliant with Chrome Applications. The code is assembled into one Chrome App per client and deployed to the Chrome App Store. This allows users using the app to install it on their device, login once to download the database files, and then travel to the customer site. At the site they store all of their product specifications locally. Once they are back to where they have Internet available, they sync their stored data to the server.
A single set of JavaScript code is used for all clients across all configurations (web, Chrome App). These apps and websites are used throughout the world.
Technologies include JavaScript, MongoDB, minimongo – a Mongo implementation that runs in the browser, decimal.js – a high precision math library for JavaScript, Node.js with Express – JavasScript web server, jQuery – the code heavily relies on jquery to provide cross-browser compatibility, and Heroku – provides deployment capabilities.