Rich Internet application

Rich Internet application
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Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) are web applications that have most of the characteristics of desktop applications, typically delivered either by way of a standards based web browser, via a browser plug-in, or independently via sandboxes or virtual machines.^[1] Examples of RIA frameworks include Ajax, Curl, GWT, Adobe Flash/Adobe Flex/AIR, Java/JavaFX,^[2] Mozilla's XUL, OpenLaszlo and Microsoft Silverlight.^[3]

These are web application that have characteristics of desktop applications.Rich Internet applications (RIAs) offer a rich, engaging experience that improves user satisfaction and increases productivity. Using the broad reach of the Internet, RIAs can be deployed across browsers and desktops.The key difference between RIAs and other Internet applications is the amount of interaction in the interface. In a traditional page-based Internet application, interaction is limited to a small set of standard controls such as checkboxes, radio buttons, form fields and buttons. This severely limits our ability to create usable and engaging applications, and most Internet applications have been clumsier and more difficult to use than their desktop counterparts.

The term was introduced in March 2002 by vendors like Macromedia who were addressing limitations at the time in the "richness of the application interfaces, media and content, and the overall sophistication of the solutions" by introducing proprietary extensions.^[4] There has been some debate about whether Ajax properly qualifies as an RIA or whether the term should be reserved for plug-in based technologies. However Ajax clearly demonstrates all the core characteristics of an RIA and current opinion appears to hold that it should be therefore be included in this category^[5].

As web standards have developed and the compliance of web browsers has improved, the need for plug-in based RIAs has diminished. The rapid evolution of Javascript and the emergence of a broad range of Ajax-based desktop-like widget sets have continued this trend. HTML 5 takes this even further by delivering an extensive pseudo-application platform. <sup>[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Internet_application</sup>