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| | Authoring
Tool: We have developed an authoring tool for one of our London based clients
who delivers financial training. The client sources learning material from a variety
of sources and the authoring tool provides the authors with a standardized format
for writing and structuring the course material. | |
| | The
authoring tool is a java-based application that requires no plug-in except JRE
(Java runtime environment). The front-end screens have been built using JFC (Swing)
technology. | |
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| | The
advantages of using Java/ JFC are: | |
| | Java
is one of most widely accepted application development languages. It has various
advantages that will naturally be inherited by any application developed on it.
Some of the advantages are given below: | |
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| |  | Open
source - Running any application developed in java does not incur any extra costs.
JRE, which is required to run Java based applications, is available online for
free. This not only reduces the development cost but also its implementation cost. | | Platform
independent - Applications written in java are platform independent i.e. the same
code can run on a Windows platform as well as on Linux/Unix. This also saves the
development cost. | | JFC's
are lightweight components and thus screens designed using Swing can be ported
to any Operating System without significant change in the visual look and feel. | | Java
API extends various features that help to create user-friendly applications. | | Applications
developed in Java are extensible and require low maintenance. |
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| | Important
features of the authoring tool are: | |
| | | |
| | | User-friendly
screens. | | Easy
navigation: Any non-technical person can navigate through the screens and understand
it's functionality. | | Strictly
follows the client's standards for content development and thus authors writing
the content are bound to follow it. | | Inbuilt
Data Archiving: Any user can create the content and store it by zipping all the
files. This helps to manage the different versions of the content written by the
author as well as save the system's memory. | | Inbuilt
Mailing support: Archived courses can be mailed to any of the recipients using
the POP/SMTP supported mail server. | | Courseware
Importing: Importing new content received via mails (archived files). | | Content
can be written in other software applications like Word, Excel, Images, Flash,
etc. and can be included in the courseware being designed. Users also have the
facility to preview the files attached (limited to the support given by the OS). | | The
entire authoring tool is packaged in an installer along with the JRE and thus
the users are not required to download any additional features to run the tool. |
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