Abstract
The development and sustenance of Web Applications is viewed from an engineering perspective. The evolution of the developmental environment of Web Applications has been multi-directional. This paper provides a conceptual characterization of these directions, relationships between these directions, and their implications towards academia and industry. The consequences of a commitment to these directions, along with the role of international standards, are considered. The challenges faced by Semantic Web Applications and Social Web Applications are briefly outlined.
Keywords: Conceptual Modeling, Experiential Knowledge, Quality, Stakeholder, Web engineering