Sharing functionalities among software using web services

• Grant number: 05/04773-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2006
• End date: December 31, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Computer Science - Computing Methodologies and Techniques
• Principal Investigator: Renata Pontin de Mattos Fortes
• Grantee: Alexandre Michetti Manduca
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação (ICMC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Many computer softwares are developed to support a lot of activities and daily work, in order to increase productivity and quality. These softwares, in general, are developed by companies or people who use different software development methods, using different programming languages and aiming at distinct architectures and operational systems. In this way, these softwares are not adequately prepared to share their functionalities, i.e., they had not been developed concerning about qualifying integration among them. The main objective of this work is to study and elaborate a mechanism for integrating software with these characteristics, i.e., to enable software that has been developed independently to share its functionalities. As a result, we want that the integrated product be better than the ones which the softwares are used separately, and at the same time, to make possible that these softwares can continue its normal development process, independently, with the minimum impact. For this purpose, a method of indirect integration is the object of research in this project, i.e., a method that does not need a direct communication among the softwares, using platform independent technologies like Web Services, XML and HTTP.