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web application (web app)

By TechTarget Contributor

What is a web application?

A web application (web app) is an application program that is stored on a remote server and delivered over the internet through a browser interface. Web services are web apps by definition and many, although not all, websites contain web apps.

Developers design web applications for a wide variety of uses and users, from an organization to an individual for numerous reasons. Commonly used web applications can include webmail, online calculators or e-commerce shops. While users can only access some web apps by a specific browser, most are available no matter the browser.

How web applications work

Web applications do not need to be downloaded since they are accessed through a network. Users can access a web application through a web browser, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.

For a web app to operate, it needs a web server, application server and database. Web servers manage the requests that come from a client, while the application server completes the requested task. A database stores any necessary information.

Web applications typically have short development cycles and small development teams. Developers write most web apps in JavaScript, HTML5 or CSS. Client-side programming typically utilizes these languages, which help build an application's front-end. Server-side programming creates the scripts a web app will use. Languages such as Python, Java and Ruby are commonly used in server-side programming.

Benefits

Web applications have many benefits. Some common benefits include the following:

Web app vs. native app vs. hybrid app

Within the mobile computing sector, web apps are sometimes contrasted with native apps, which are applications developers build specifically for a particular platform or device and install on that device. Native apps can commonly make use of device-specific hardware, such as a GPS or camera on a mobile native app.

Programs that combine the two approaches are sometimes referred to as hybrid applications. Hybrid apps work similar to web apps but install to the device as a native app would. Hybrid apps can also take advantage of device-specific resources by using internal APIs. Downloaded native apps can sometimes operate offline; however, hybrid apps don't have this functionality. A hybrid app will typically share similar navigation elements to a web app since they are primarily based on web apps.

20 Jan 2023

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