Applications that use HTML-based front ends benefit from the pervasive distribution of Web browsers for universal, cross-platform access. Another striking advantage of Web delivery lies in the concept of thin clients and centralized maintenance, facilitating instantaneous deployment of software updates at minimal cost. While the popularity of the Web and its advantages as a client-server platform have led to countless HTML-based applications, the development of Web applications is still mostly ad hoc. There is no rigorous, systematic approach, and most current Web application development and management practices rely on the knowledge and experience of individual developers. One reason for the lack of a structured approach may be in the Web’s legacy.
