Migrating Your WebSpeed Applications: Take Advantage of New Functionality and Security Improvements

Beginning in Progress OpenEdge Release 11.6, Progress Application Server (PAS) for OpenEdge is available as a host for WebSpeed applications. You can migrate existing WebSpeed applications to PAS for OpenEdge, or you can use the Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge to develop new WebSpeed applications that run on PAS for OpenEdge.

Progress OpenEdge is a widely used development platform for building business applications. One of its key components is WebSpeed, a technology that allows developers to create web applications using OpenEdge. If you're an OpenEdge customer who's still using Classic WebSpeed server, it's time to consider migrating to a PAS for OpenEdge instance. By migrating your WebSpeed applications, you are gaining the following benefits:

• Modern
• Secure
• Cloud-Ready
• Scalable

What is WebSpeed?

WebSpeed works similarly to popular technologies like ASP, JSP and PHP. With WebSpeed, the ABL code generates dynamic web output, such as an HTML page that displays on the client side in a web browser.

PAS for OpenEdge supports the three most common types of WebSpeed Web objects:

• Mapped Web Objects:
  • This program type pairs a separate HTML page with an ABL program (.w file). The UI and the application logic are then in two separate files. An offset file dynamically inserts values into the output HTML content at runtime.
• Embedded SpeedScript:
  • These programs are ABL code embedded into an HTML page. The program executes on the server side, and HTML content is generated dynamically.
• CGI Wrapper Web Objects:
  • These programs are pure ABL code. The program executes on the server side, and all HTML headers and tags are manually output where necessary. For instance, a media type may be returned to the client allowing for the return of HTML, XML, JSON, etc. This pattern is great for developing REST APIs.

Why Should You Migrate to the Latest Version?

Here are some of the key reasons why you should migrate your WebSpeed:

1. Improved performance: Migration of WebSpeed includes performance enhancements through the PAS for OpenEdge server technology that can help improve the speed and responsiveness of your web applications. This means your users will experience faster load times, smoother navigation and better performance.

2. Security updates: Updated versions of WebSpeed include security updates that can help protect your application from potential threats. By migrating to the latest version of WebSpeed, you can ensure that your application is as secure as possible.

3. Improved developer productivity: WebSpeed includes several tools and features that can help developers be more productive. For example, the latest version has enhanced debugging tools and support for automated testing, which can help developers identify and fix issues faster.

Key Points

Starting with OpenEdge 11.6, WebSpeed is a component of the Progress Application Server for OpenEdge (PAS for OpenEdge). Contact our skilled team of consultants on the Progress Professional Services team, and our database administrators and consulting experts can assist you with a migration strategy, development or anything else you and your team may require.

Overall, migrating your Classic WebSpeed applications is a smart move that can help improve your application's performance, security and functionality. It can also help you stay updated with the latest web technologies and enhance developer productivity. So, if you're still using an older version of WebSpeed, it's time to consider migrating to the latest version.

To learn more, contact your Progress Account Executive or check out the resources below.

• https://community.progress.com/s/article/What-is-the-difference-between-Classic-WebSpeed-and-Webspeed-for-PASOE
• https://www.progress.com/openedge/components/progress-app-server-for-openedge/resources
• https://www.progress.com/papers/progress-application-server-(pas)-for-openedge-technical-migration-guide
• https://www.progress.com/papers/faq-migration-from-classic-appserver-to-pas-for-openedge