Web Application Development 

Using Open Source and Java Technologies

by 

Wolfgang Andreas Klimke 

Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering on May 11, 2001  

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Engineering  

in Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Abstract 

With the growing popularity of Open Source and Java, software engineers have embraced the 

idea of a no cost development platform for Web applications. This thesis introduces the 

concepts of Open Source and gives an overview on current Open Source products with 

particular focus on Web application enabling technologies. 

Covered are the technical aspects of Web application development with today's leading Web 

application development tools, such as Tomcat (the reference implementation of the Java 

Servlet API) and the Concurrent Versions System CVS for source code control. 

A case study of a real world application, the development of a Web based permit system for 

urban road construction, is presented to show that Open Source development can meet the 

expectations it has created. 

Java is the dominant Web programming language today, and is used extensively by the Open 

Source community. The author takes a closer look at ASP and C#, representing the core 

technologies of Microsoft's Web application development platform, as Java's most important 

competitor.  

Thesis Supervisor: George Kocur 

Title: Senior Lecturer of Civil and Environmental Engineering